NDSN vs. IEX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nordson Corporation (NDSN) and IDEX Corporation (IEX).

Performance

NDSN vs. IEX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nordson Corporation (NDSN) and IDEX Corporation (IEX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NDSN vs. IEX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NDSN Nordson Corporation	11.49%	17.03%	-20.15%	12.39%	-5.93%	28.09%	24.45%	37.88%	-17.65%	31.83%
IEX IDEX Corporation	8.28%	-13.69%	-2.35%	-3.80%	-2.22%	19.82%	17.22%	37.94%	-3.16%	48.53%

Fundamentals

Market Cap NDSN : $15.00B IEX : $14.36B
EPS NDSN : $9.23 IEX : $6.42
PE Ratio NDSN : 28.94 IEX : 29.89
PEG Ratio NDSN : 11.34 IEX : 8.82
PS Ratio NDSN : 5.32 IEX : 4.18
PB Ratio NDSN : 4.82 IEX : 3.57
Total Revenue (TTM) NDSN : $2.85B IEX : $3.46B
Gross Profit (TTM) NDSN : $1.57B IEX : $1.54B
EBITDA (TTM) NDSN : $852.47M IEX : $849.70M

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NDSN achieves a 11.49% return, which is significantly higher than IEX's 8.28% return. Over the past 10 years, NDSN has outperformed IEX with an annualized return of 14.54%, while IEX has yielded a comparatively lower 10.01% annualized return.

NDSN

• 1D: 0.44%
• 1M: -8.25%
• YTD: 11.49%
• 6M: 17.70%
• 1Y: 34.85%
• 3Y*: 7.69%
• 5Y*: 6.93%
• 10Y*: 14.54%

IEX

• 1D: 1.28%
• 1M: -9.25%
• YTD: 8.28%
• 6M: 17.92%
• 1Y: 7.63%
• 3Y*: -4.70%
• 5Y*: -0.75%
• 10Y*: 10.01%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

NDSN vs. IEX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

NDSN

NDSN Risk / Return Rank: 78
NDSN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
NDSN Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
NDSN Omega Ratio Rank: 75
NDSN Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
NDSN Martin Ratio Rank: 83

IEX

IEX Risk / Return Rank: 48
IEX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
IEX Sortino Ratio Rank: 43
IEX Omega Ratio Rank: 44
IEX Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
IEX Martin Ratio Rank: 50

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

NDSN vs. IEX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nordson Corporation (NDSN) and IDEX Corporation (IEX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	NDSN	IEX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.27	0.27	+1.00
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.99	0.57	+1.42
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.08	+0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.95	0.45	+1.49
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.32	0.84	+6.48
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NDSN vs. IEX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NDSN Sharpe Ratio is 1.27, which is higher than the IEX Sharpe Ratio of 0.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NDSN and IEX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NDSN	IEX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.27	0.27	+1.00
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.28	-0.03	+0.31
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	0.42	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.37	0.14	+0.23

Correlation

The correlation between NDSN and IEX is 0.50, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

NDSN vs. IEX - Dividend Comparison

NDSN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.21%, less than IEX's 1.48% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NDSN Nordson Corporation	1.21%	1.66%	1.02%	1.01%	0.98%	0.71%	0.77%	0.90%	1.09%	0.78%	0.91%	1.43%
IEX IDEX Corporation	1.48%	1.58%	1.29%	1.16%	1.02%	0.90%	1.00%	1.12%	1.31%	1.10%	1.49%	1.62%

Drawdowns

NDSN vs. IEX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NDSN drawdown since its inception was -73.62%, smaller than the maximum IEX drawdown of -81.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NDSN and IEX.

Drawdown Indicators

	NDSN	IEX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-73.62%	-81.60%	+7.98%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.62%	-17.02%	-0.60%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-39.15%	-34.60%	-4.55%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.24%	-35.52%	-8.72%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.43%	-19.66%	+9.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.28%	-11.43%	-1.85%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.69%	9.20%	-4.51%

Volatility

NDSN vs. IEX - Volatility Comparison

Nordson Corporation (NDSN) and IDEX Corporation (IEX) have volatilities of 7.55% and 7.88%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NDSN	IEX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.55%	7.88%	-0.33%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.86%	16.25%	-2.39%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	27.51%	28.60%	-1.09%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	24.77%	23.75%	+1.02%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	28.76%	24.10%	+4.66%

Financials

NDSN vs. IEX - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Nordson Corporation and IDEX Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

NDSN - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Nordson Corporation reported a gross profit of 366.12M and revenue of 669.46M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 54.7%.

IEX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, IDEX Corporation reported a gross profit of 387.10M and revenue of 899.10M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 43.1%.

NDSN - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Nordson Corporation reported an operating income of 166.41M and revenue of 669.46M, resulting in an operating margin of 24.9%.

IEX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, IDEX Corporation reported an operating income of 163.10M and revenue of 899.10M, resulting in an operating margin of 18.1%.

NDSN - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Nordson Corporation reported a net income of 133.38M and revenue of 669.46M, resulting in a net margin of 19.9%.

IEX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, IDEX Corporation reported a net income of 128.30M and revenue of 899.10M, resulting in a net margin of 14.3%.