Dividend Growth Stocks: 25 Aristocrats

21. Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW)

5-Year Average Dividend Growth Rate: 7.07%

Illinois Tool Works has been operating for more than a century and has built a business that is difficult to replicate. Its competitive edge comes from scale, deep customer relationships, and a sizable intellectual property portfolio with more than 17,000 granted and pending patents.

The company’s dividend history stands out even among dividend aristocrats. During the financial crisis, when payout ratios became stretched, Illinois Tool Works kept its dividend intact. Today, the payout ratio sits near 62% of expected earnings, above management’s long-term comfort zone. That suggests future dividend increases may track more closely with earnings rather than outpace them. Even so, the company has raised its dividend for 62 consecutive years.

Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) operates through seven business segments spanning industries such as automotive components and food service equipment. All of them follow the company’s “80/20 Front-to-Back” operating model, which emphasizes focusing on the most profitable customers and products while simplifying the rest.

Management has leaned heavily into operational discipline, targeted innovation, and portfolio reshaping. Non-core assets are sold, divisions are given autonomy to solve customer problems, and capital is deployed with shareholder returns in mind.