Can Illinois Tool Works Weather an Economic Downturn?

Industrial products and equipment powerhouse Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW) has reliably created shareholder value over the long term. The company has delivered record EPS year after year, has improved its operating margin every year since at least 2012, and its stock is trading near all-time highs. Its EPS grew 16% year over year in the second quarter. There's really not a whole lot shareholders can complain about.

Yet, while Illinois Tool Works has made undeniable progress on strengthening its business since the Great Recession, investors know that economic downturns happen periodically, and they usually aren't kind to infrastructure and industrial stocks. Which leads to the obvious question: How well can Illinois Tool Works weather the next downturn?

Image source: Getty Images.

Source: Fool.com