Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW) investors must be feeling frustrated by events in 2026. The U.S. manufacturing sector has been in a slowdown over the last couple of years, and as soon as it starts to recover, along comes a major conflict in the Persian Gulf to muddy the waters. The uncertainty created by the conflict took its toll on the stock in March, with the stock declining by 10.4% according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, but its underlying growth prospects look good. A recovery in the i ...