Why Illinois Tool Works' Stock Rose 7.6% in September

What happened

Shares of industrial components manufacturer Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW) rose 7.6% in September, continuing a growth trend that has caused shares to soar 160% over the last five years.

As sometimes happens, the stock took off for no apparent reason, but some of the company's recent decisions provide some clues as to why shares were ripe for outperformance.

So what

On August 4, the company announced it was upping its quarterly dividend by 20%, from $0.65 per share to $0.78 per share. You'd think this would be considered a good thing, but the stock market apparently disagreed, sending shares down about 3% over the next several days, where they continued to languish into September.

But suddenly, on Sept. 4, the stock started to rise quickly, moving from below $137/share all the way up to $148/share in just two weeks. It's possible that because of the August stock drop, shares finally looked too tempting to pass up for investors who piled in to buy prior to the ex-dividend date of Sept. 29. It's also possible that investors simply were impressed with the company's consistent outperformance.

Now what

Whatever the reason, Illinois Tool Works handily outperformed the broader market in September, as it has done fairly consistently for years. With shares at all-time highs, though, it's natural to wonder whether the stock can continue its impressive run. The good news is that the company's P/E ratio, on a trailing 12-month basis, is comfortably in line with those of its industrial conglomerate peers. This month's performance shouldn't discourage investors from taking a serious look at this consistent outperformer.

10 stocks we like better than Illinois Tool WorksWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Illinois Tool Works wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of October 9, 2017

John Bromels has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.