Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc (LECO) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 4,481M vs 18,764M combined for tracked competitors (19.3% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+8.9% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+4.1%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc generated 12.1% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs 5.8% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 13.0% net margin compares with 16.7% for the peer group.
- Scale: Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc ranks #16 of 143 companies by market capitalization in the Industrial Machinery and Components industry, holding 0.7% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc accounted for 20.0% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 19.1% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.37M compares with $0.37M for the peer group (1.0x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
LECO Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc reported revenue growth of 12.05 % year on year in Q2 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue growth of 5.79 %.
With a net margin of 13.00 %, Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc reported lower profitability than its competitors (16.67 %).
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc generated 19.98 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 19.08 % a year earlier.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (3) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (9) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (6) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Industrial Machinery and Components industry grew revenue 12.4% year over year, combined, vs 12.1% for Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.88% to 0.88%, a gain of 0.00 percentage points.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | Yes | Yes | Yes | - |
| Competitors combined (2) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (3) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 50.00 % (4 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 7) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
LECO Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
LECO Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
LECO Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
LECO Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois Tool Works Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Enovis Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Conditions in the arc welding and cutting industry are highly competitive. The Company believes it is the worlds largest manufacturer of consumables and equipment with relatively few major broad-line competitors worldwide, but numerous smaller competitors in specific geographic markets. The Company continues to pursue strategies to heighten its competitiveness in domestic and international markets, which includes positioning low cost manufacturing facilities in most geographical markets. Competition in the arc welding and cutting industry is based on brand preference, product quality, price, performance, warranty, delivery, service and technical support. The Company believes its performance against these factors has contributed to the Companys position as the leader in the industry.
Most of the Companys products may be classified as standard commercial articles
and are manufactured for stock. The Company believes it has a competitive advantage
in the marketplace because of its highly trained technical sales force and the
support of its welding research and development staff to assist customers in
optimizing their welding applications. This allows the Company to introduce
its products to new users and to establish and maintain close relationships
with its customers. This close relationship between the technical sales force
and the direct customers, together with its supportive relationship with its
distributors, who are particularly interested in handling the broad range of
the Companys products, is an important element of the Companys market success
and a valuable asset of the Company.
Publicly Traded Peers of Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | 14,990.50 | 4,481.05 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 78,193.15 | 16,469.00 |
| Enovis Corp | 1,042.00 | 2,294.94 |
| SUBTOTAL | 94,225.65 | 23,244.99 |
Sources: Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Esab Corporation | Named by the company | 85% |
| Enovis Corp | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | Americas Welding 66.27 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Automotive OEM 20.42 % |
| Enovis Corp | Reconstructive 53.89 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | 14,990 | 373,421 | 46,129 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 78,193 | 383,000 | 74,279 |
| Enovis Corp | 1,042 | 294,147 | -141,099 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 79,235 | 369,354 | 41,202 |
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 128 companies in Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc ranks #16 of 128 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.68 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,578, indicating a moderately concentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asml Holding Nv | 702,552 | 32.04 % |
| 2 | Lam Research Corporation | 411,044 | 18.74 % |
| 3 | Deere and Co | 184,425 | 8.41 % |
| 4 | Eaton Corporation Plc | 169,834 | 7.74 % |
| 5 | Cae Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Bloom Energy Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Illinois Tool Works Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Carrier Global Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Ingersoll Rand Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Nvent Electric Plc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 16 | Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | 14,990 | 0.68 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-29.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Dover Corp | 26,036 | 14.33 % |
| 12 | Curtiss wright Corporation | 20,066 | 4.33 % |
| 13 | Woodward Inc | 20,046 | 31.89 % |
| 14 | Nordson Corporation | 18,472 | 45.24 % |
| 15 | Zebra Technologies Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 16 | Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | 14,990 | 14.92 % |
| 17 | Lennox International Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 18 | Madison Air Solutions Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 19 | Regal Rexnord Corp | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 20 | Donaldson Company Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 21 | Owens Corning | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-29. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Industrial Machinery and Components industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (166 companies). See the full Industrial Machinery and Components industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 35.96 % | 28.58 % (avg) | +7.4 pp |
| Operating Margin | 17.13 % | industry median | +11.5 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 18.97 % | 3.86 % (avg) | +15.1 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 3.24 % | 5.98 % (avg) | -2.7 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Industrial Machinery and Components industry average (166 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Industrial Machinery and Components industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 26.1x | 33.3x | -7.2x |
| EV / EBITDA | 18.0x | 19.5x | -1.4x |
| P/B | 9.7x | 4.0x | +5.6x |
| Return on Equity | 37.21 % | industry aggregate | 21.55 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 17.70 % | 1.28 % (avg) | 16.42 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 15.40 % | -0.84 % | -11.58 % | 21.80 % | 16.28 % | 11.45 % | -4.38 % | 5.60 % |
| Operating Margin | 12.40 % | 12.35 % | 10.62 % | 14.27 % | 16.28 % | 17.13 % | 15.88 % | 16.97 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 13.34 % | 14.00 % | 11.80 % | 17.41 % | 21.22 % | 19.25 % | 16.01 % | 17.35 % |
| P/E | 18.7x | 20.1x | 34.0x | 30.0x | 18.5x | 22.0x | 24.8x | 26.1x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.02x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 7.4% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Moderate | Industry HHI of 1,578 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Lower than typical for the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 3.24 % vs industry average 5.98 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc falls in the Medium attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Selective.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Operating margin 11.5 points above the industry median.
- Return on equity 21.6 points above the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+8.9% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.02x).
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (26.1x vs 33.3x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | 0.29 | 1.83 | 0.84 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 0.17 | 1.24 | 2.93 |
| Enovis Corp | 0.05 | 2.06 | 0.82 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | Q2 2026 | +12.0 % | +10.5 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Q2 2026 | +6.1 % | +7.9 % |
| Enovis Corp | Q2 2026 | +3.4 % | - |
| PEERS TOTAL | +7.0 % | +12.8 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | Q2 2026 | +12.8 % | +23.6 % |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | Q2 2026 | -10.5 % | -8.9 % |
| Enovis Corp | Q2 2026 | -2.4 % | -1.1 % |
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | 14.47% | 19.42% | 37.21% |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 19.64% | 26.49% | 101.72% |
| Enovis Corp | - | - | - |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc | 27.23 | 3.35 |
| Illinois Tool Works Inc | 36.28 | 4.75 |
| Enovis Corp | - | 0.45 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 35.60 | 4.05 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.