SWK vs IEX vs ESAB Stock Comparison

Stanley Black & Decker, Idex and Esab Prices as of Nov 5, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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IEX Idex Corp /De/
$222.63 -5.8% 1M +32.3% 1Y
Market cap
$16.35B
P/E
30.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$3.66B
Div. yield
1.30%
Pumps and Valves Industrials
5 wins
ESAB ESAB Corp
$79.08 +10.1% 1M -29.7% 1Y
Market cap
$4.92B
P/E
32.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$3.10B
Div. yield
0.56%
Power Tools Industrials
2 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Stanley Black & Decker leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Stanley Black & Decker 5, Idex 5, Esab 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionSWKIEXESABLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $17.15B $16.35B $4.92B SWK
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 20.2x 30.6x 32.3x SWK
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 19.9x 24.1x 15.4x ESAB
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +0.4% +6.9% +11.0% ESAB
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 5.5% 14.6% 4.9% IEX
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 8.5% 10.0% 5.5% IEX
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 1.9x 1.2x 4.6x IEX
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 2.89% 1.30% 0.56% SWK
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +65.7% +32.3% -29.7% SWK
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -8.9%/yr -1.0%/yr — IEX
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 38.4% 22.6% 47.3% IEX
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 65/100 55/100 31/100 SWK

Percentile Scorecard

SWKIEXESAB

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisSWKIEXESAB
Valuation 90 #22 of 204 34 #135 of 204 48 #107 of 204
Growth 92 #17 of 191 43 #109 of 191 24 #145 of 191
Profitability 62 #72 of 189 85 #30 of 189 43 #108 of 189
Financial Health 34 #146 of 221 74 #58 of 221 21 #174 of 221
Shareholder Returns 49 #82 of 159 41 #94 of 159 20 #127 of 159
Overall 65 55 31
  • SWK ranked among 223 companies in Machinery
  • IEX ranked among 223 companies in Machinery
  • ESAB ranked among 223 companies in Machinery

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodSWKIEXESABSPY
1 month +28.1%-5.8%+10.1% -5.9%
3 months +14.2%-4.7%-16.3% -4.6%
6 months +43.8%+3.6%-22.8% +0.2%
Year to date +55.3%+25.1%-29.2% +7.5%
1 year +65.7%+32.3%-29.7% +8.2%
3 years +33.1%+15.1%+5.4% +68.3%
3 years, per year +10.0%+4.8%+1.8% +19.0%
5 years -37.3%-5.1%— +56.5%
5 years, per year -8.9%-1.0%— +9.4%
10 years +0.7%+161.6%— +251.5%
10 years, per year +0.1%+10.1%— +13.4%

Risk

MeasureSWKIEXESABSPY
Volatility, 1Y 38.4%22.6%47.3% 13.6%
Downside volatility, 1Y 32.4%21.2%46.4% 14.2%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.370.721.60 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 1.711.43-0.63 0.60
Max drawdown, 5Y -71.6%-35.9%-52.3% -25.4%
From 52-week high -2.5%-7.4%-41.3% -5.9%
52-week high $118.24$240.52$134.82 $779.14
52-week low $62.12$161.68$64.45 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleSWKIEXESAB
P/E now vs peer median 20.2xmedian 23.4x 30.6xmedian 23.4x 32.3xmedian 23.4x
P/S now vs peer median 1.1xmedian 1.7x 4.5xmedian 1.7x 1.6xmedian 1.7x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 10.1xmedian 13.4x 17.9xmedian 13.4x 15.1xmedian 13.4x
P/FCF now vs peer median 10.0xmedian 21.9x 24.5xmedian 21.9x 27.2xmedian 21.9x
P/B now vs peer median 1.9xmedian 2.1x 4.1xmedian 2.1x 1.9xmedian 2.1x
PEG now vs peer median 0.18median 1.02 -8.04median 1.02 -2.75median 1.02

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsSWKIEXESAB
Revenue $15.22B $3.66B $3.10B
Gross profit $5.14B $1.64B $1.16B
Operating income $1.60B $763.90M $347.75M
Net income $841.20M $535.80M $162.28M
Free cash flow $1.72B $667.10M $180.74M
EPS (diluted) $5.66 $7.24 $2.44
Cash & equivalents $741.20M $602.10M $188.65M
Total debt $4.70B $1.75B $2.33B
Shares (diluted) 148.63M 74.00M 62.39M
Enterprise value $15.20B $13.96B $3.37B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricSWKIEXESAB
P/E 20.2x 30.6x 32.3x
P/FCF 10.0x 24.5x 27.2x
P/Operating cash flow 8.6x 21.7x 19.7x
P/S 1.1x 4.5x 1.6x
P/B 1.9x 4.1x 1.9x
P/Tangible book 2.9x 5.7x 3.9x
EV/EBITDA 10.1x 17.9x 15.1x
EV/EBIT 13.2x 22.9x 20.3x
EV/Revenue 1.4x 4.8x 2.3x
EV/FCF 12.3x 26.2x 39.0x
EV/Operating cash flow 10.6x 23.3x 28.2x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.18 -8.04 -2.75

Growth

14 metrics
MetricSWKIEXESAB
Revenue growth (1Y) 0.4% 6.9% 11.0%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -1.7% 3.5% 4.1%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 13.9% 8.1% 11.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 12.8% 4.1% 5.7%
Operating income growth (1Y) 96.9% 12.2% -20.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 166.3% 0.7% -2.8%
Net income growth (1Y) 91.8% 12.1% -34.9%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 164.6% -4.6% -9.9%
EPS growth (1Y) 96.1% 13.9% -38.4%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 112.3% -3.8% -11.7%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 186.3% 17.0% -13.9%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 22.8% 3.3% -5.8%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 365.0% 14.2% -24.1%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 32.4% 3.9% -10.5%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricSWKIEXESAB
Gross margin 33.8% 44.9% 37.6%
EBITDA margin 13.7% 26.7% 15.0%
Operating margin 10.5% 20.9% 11.2%
Pretax margin 7.7% 19.2% 7.5%
Net margin 5.5% 14.6% 4.9%
FCF margin 11.3% 18.2% 5.8%
Operating cash flow margin 13.1% 20.6% 8.1%
Return on equity 9.5% 13.4% 6.3%
Return on assets 4.2% 7.8% 2.5%
Return on invested capital 8.5% 10.0% 5.5%
Return on capital employed 10.3% 12.2% 6.0%
Asset turnover 0.8x 0.5x 0.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.4x 1.4x 1.5x
Stock comp / revenue 0.6% 0.9% 0.7%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricSWKIEXESAB
Debt / assets 23.5% 25.5% 35.9%
Debt / equity 0.5x 0.4x 0.9x
Net debt / EBITDA 1.9x 1.2x 4.6x
Debt / FCF 2.7x 2.6x 12.9x
Liabilities / assets 55.9% 41.6% 59.9%
Equity / assets 44.1% 58.4% 40.1%
Interest coverage 3.7x – 3.0x
Current ratio 1.4x 2.8x 1.9x
Quick ratio 0.5x 1.8x 1.2x
Cash ratio 0.2x 0.9x 0.2x
Altman Z-score 2.65 5.49 1.74

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricSWKIEXESAB
Dividend yield 2.9% 1.3% 0.6%
Net buyback yield 2.9% 1.8% –
Shareholder yield 5.8% 3.1% 0.6%
Payout ratio (earnings) 59.4% 39.9% –
Payout ratio (FCF) 29.1% 32.1% –
Dividend growth (1Y) 0.2% 1.0% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 1.3% 4.5% –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusSWKIEXESAB
Forward P/E 19.9xFY2026 24.1xFY2026 15.4xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $5.80FY2026 $9.24FY2026 $5.13FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +24.2%FY2026 +16.2%FY2026 -2.8%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +5.3% +12.2% +27.7%
Revenue, next fiscal year $16.13BFY2026 $3.96BFY2026 $2.86BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +6.6%FY2026 +14.6%FY2026 +5.9%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +0.4% +2.7% +19.3%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersSWKIEXESAB
Held by institutions 95.7% 100.0% 100.0%
Institutions holding 773 688 349
Change in shares held, QoQ +5.3% +0.1% +11.0%
Institutions buying 417 352 187
Institutions selling 245 202 111
Buyers to sellers 1.70 1.74 1.68

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

SWKIEXESAB
SWK 1.00 0.51 0.63
IEX 0.51 1.00 0.49
ESAB 0.63 0.49 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, SWK, IEX and ESAB?

Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) is the largest by market capitalisation: Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) $17.15B, Idex (IEX) $16.35B, Esab (ESAB) $4.92B.

Which stock is cheaper, SWK, IEX and ESAB?

Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) 20.2x, Idex (IEX) 30.6x, Esab (ESAB) 32.3x). On next year's consensus earnings, Esab (ESAB) is cheapest (Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) 19.9x, Idex (IEX) 24.1x, Esab (ESAB) 15.4x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Esab (ESAB) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) +0.4%, Idex (IEX) +6.9%, Esab (ESAB) +11.0%.

Which company is more profitable?

Idex (IEX) has the highest net margin (Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) 5.5%, Idex (IEX) 14.6%, Esab (ESAB) 4.9%). On return on invested capital, Idex (IEX) leads (Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) 8.5%, Idex (IEX) 10.0%, Esab (ESAB) 5.5%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) returned the most: Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) +65.7%, Idex (IEX) +32.3%, Esab (ESAB) -29.7%. Over five years, Idex (IEX) compounded fastest (Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) -8.9%/yr, Idex (IEX) -1.0%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) has the highest dividend yield: Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) 2.89%, Idex (IEX) 1.30%, Esab (ESAB) 0.56%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Idex (IEX) has been the steadiest (Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) 38.4%, Idex (IEX) 22.6%, Esab (ESAB) 47.3%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, SWK, IEX and ESAB?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) leads on 5. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.