Illinois Tool Works price target lowered to $265 from $279 at Citi

Citi analyst Andrew Kaplowitz lowered the firm’s price target on Illinois Tool Works (ITW) to $265 from $279 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. The Q4 earnings for industrial conglomerates and electrical equipment names should be largely in-line with expectations and reflective of “still mixed” underlying demand trends among industrial end markets with currency headwinds contributing to some earnings pressure that likely limits potential upside, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm says that with investors focused on 2025, it sees some “ongoing bifurcation” with respect to growth expectations as likely to continue into the new year. Citi’s top picks into Q4 include Flowserve (FLS), Vertiv (VRT), Dover (DOV), and Honeywell (HON).