Let's talk about the popular Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW). The company's shares received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NYSE over the last few months, increasing to US$270 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$242. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Illinois Tool Works' current trading price of US$249 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let's take a look at Illinois Tool Works's outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

What's The Opportunity In Illinois Tool Works?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to our valuation model. It's trading around 10% below our intrinsic value, which means if you buy Illinois Tool Works today, you'd be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $277.62, then there isn't much room for the share price grow beyond what it's currently trading. Although, there may be an opportunity to buy in the future. This is because Illinois Tool Works's beta (a measure of share price volatility) is high, meaning its price movements will be exaggerated relative to the rest of the market. If the market is bearish, the company's shares will likely fall by more than the rest of the market, providing a prime buying opportunity.

Can we expect growth from Illinois Tool Works?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you're looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let's also take a look at the company's future expectations. With profit expected to grow by a double-digit 15% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Illinois Tool Works. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? ITW's optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we haven't considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value?

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on ITW, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means it's worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. While conducting our analysis, we found that Illinois Tool Works has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

If you are no longer interested in Illinois Tool Works, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.