Is Stanley Black & Decker profitable in 2026?

Yes. Q1 2026 revenue hit $3.846 billion, up 2.72% YoY, beating consensus of $3.75B, with adjusted EPS of $0.80 vs $0.61 expected, as of April 2026. Management guides FY2026 EPS of $4.90 to $5.70 with low single digit revenue growth.

Is Stanley Black & Decker laying off workers?

Yes. The company cut roughly 7,000 jobs since late 2023 under a $2 billion cost program, dropping total headcount to about 43,500 by December 31, 2025, down 10.3% from 48,500 in 2024. New Britain CT and Gallatin TN plants are closing in 2026 to 2027.

Who is Stanley Black & Decker's biggest competitor?

Techtronic Industries, owner of Milwaukee Tool and Ryobi, is cited as of January 2026 as the primary rival gaining share in cordless and professional tool segments. Makita also dominates professional cordless with about 50% share versus Black & Decker's roughly 9%, per a March 2026 case study.

Could AI replace jobs at Stanley Black & Decker?

AI is exposed in back-office areas like customer support and forecasting, but not core manufacturing. The company explicitly maintains zero tolerance for AI giving wrong technical guidance on power tools since errors could injure users, per a June 21, 2026 report, reinforcing human-verified workflows for safety-sensitive advice.

Is Stanley Black & Decker selling its aerospace business?

Yes. In February 2026 the company announced a definitive agreement to sell its aerospace fasteners business, which grew 25% in 2025, for expected net proceeds over $1.5 billion earmarked for debt reduction, despite it being a strong growth segment.

Who owns Stanley Black & Decker?

It is a fully public company with no controlling parent, trading as SWK on NYSE. Institutional holders SSgA and BlackRock each held roughly 5 to 6% per late 2024 filings. Christopher Nelson became President and CEO in late 2025, succeeding Donald Allan Jr., who became Executive Chairman.

Manufacturing companies · United States

Stanley Black & Decker

stanleyblackanddecker.com ↗

Maker of DEWALT, Craftsman, and Stanley tools, plus industrial fasteners.

Losing its protection

Assessed 20 July 2026 · Evidence as of 20 July 2026

The structural protection is eroding.

On the recordSince 20 July 2026 · Checkable from July 29, 2026 · Every call on the record Checkpoint: Q2 2026 earnings report showing DEWALT/Craftsman share trend vs Milwaukee

The call

A century-old tool maker cutting jobs and plants to fix margins while a faster-moving rival, not any AI, chips away at its best segment.

Stanley Black & Decker is a large company that makes power tools, hand tools, and hardware for both homeowners and professionals. The company is struggling because Milwaukee Tool (owned by Techtronic Industries) is taking away customers in the professional cordless tool market, which is where Stanley makes the most money. Stanley has also sold off a successful aerospace fastener business and cut thousands of jobs, which suggests the company is shrinking rather than growing. The one thing that matters most is whether Stanley's DEWALT brand can win back professional customers from Milwaukee over the next year or two; if it cannot, Stanley will keep getting smaller.

Why

AI pressure: None apparent. AI is not the force squeezing this company; power tools and hand tools are a physical manufacturing and retail-shelf business. Could AI do the core job? Unlikely.

Bigger players: Techtronic Industries (Milwaukee Tool) and Makita. Milwaukee and Makita keep taking professional cordless share from DEWALT, the segment with the best margins. Could a giant copy it? Probably.

What protects it. DEWALT, Craftsman, and Stanley brand recognition plus shelf space at Home Depot and Lowe's that rivals still have to fight for.

What would change this call

DEWALT/Craftsman organic growth vs. Milwaukee at Q2 2026 earnings (July 29, 2026). Shows whether SBD is stabilizing or continuing to lose pro cordless share.
Gross margin reaching 34-35% guidance in H2 2026. Confirms whether tariff and restructuring pressures are actually easing as promised.
Additional WARN filings or plant closures beyond New Britain CT and Gallatin TN. Would indicate restructuring is deeper or longer than management has disclosed.

Key numbers

FY2025 revenue $15.13B, down 1.53% YoY (2025-12-31)
Headcount down 10.3% to 43,500 in one year (2025-12-31)
About 7,000 jobs cut since late 2023 (2026-03-03)

Named risks

Continued market share loss to Milwaukee/TTI and Makita in high-margin professional cordless segment. Severity: high
Margin recovery to 34-35% guided for H2 2026 remains unproven amid tariff pressure. Severity: medium
Ongoing plant closures and layoffs (New Britain CT, Gallatin TN) risk further restructuring charges through 2027. Severity: medium
Divesting aerospace fasteners removes the company's fastest growing segment (+25% in 2025) to fund debt reduction. Severity: medium
Active trademark litigation with Pacific Market International over STANLEY brand could affect licensing economics. Severity: low

Rivals, as read in July 2026

Rival	Direction	Evidence
Techtronic Industries (Milwaukee Tool)	losing to	Cited January 13, 2026 as primary rival gaining share in cordless and professional segments
Makita	losing to	Holds ~50% pro cordless share vs SBD's ~9%, per March 2026 case study
Ridgid and Skil (via retail house brands)	losing to	Tariff-driven price hikes push budget buyers to cheaper alternatives, May 2025 report
Home Depot Husky/HDX and Lowe's Kobalt	contesting	Retail house brands compete on price in value tool tier, per May 2025 analysis

Questions people ask

Is Stanley Black & Decker profitable in 2026?: Yes. Q1 2026 revenue hit $3.846 billion, up 2.72% YoY, beating consensus of $3.75B, with adjusted EPS of $0.80 vs $0.61 expected, as of April 2026. Management guides FY2026 EPS of $4.90 to $5.70 with low single digit revenue growth.
Is Stanley Black & Decker laying off workers?: Yes. The company cut roughly 7,000 jobs since late 2023 under a $2 billion cost program, dropping total headcount to about 43,500 by December 31, 2025, down 10.3% from 48,500 in 2024. New Britain CT and Gallatin TN plants are closing in 2026 to 2027.
Who is Stanley Black & Decker's biggest competitor?: Techtronic Industries, owner of Milwaukee Tool and Ryobi, is cited as of January 2026 as the primary rival gaining share in cordless and professional tool segments. Makita also dominates professional cordless with about 50% share versus Black & Decker's roughly 9%, per a March 2026 case study.
Could AI replace jobs at Stanley Black & Decker?: AI is exposed in back-office areas like customer support and forecasting, but not core manufacturing. The company explicitly maintains zero tolerance for AI giving wrong technical guidance on power tools since errors could injure users, per a June 21, 2026 report, reinforcing human-verified workflows for safety-sensitive advice.
Is Stanley Black & Decker selling its aerospace business?: Yes. In February 2026 the company announced a definitive agreement to sell its aerospace fasteners business, which grew 25% in 2025, for expected net proceeds over $1.5 billion earmarked for debt reduction, despite it being a strong growth segment.
Who owns Stanley Black & Decker?: It is a fully public company with no controlling parent, trading as SWK on NYSE. Institutional holders SSgA and BlackRock each held roughly 5 to 6% per late 2024 filings. Christopher Nelson became President and CEO in late 2025, succeeding Donald Allan Jr., who became Executive Chairman.

Timeline

2026-07-29Q2 2026 earnings scheduled, key test of margin recovery and cordless share trends
2026-07-14Gallatin/Sumner County TN facility closure announced, 116 jobs, closing Aug to Dec 2026
2026-05-18JAKKS Pacific renewed BLACK+DECKER toy licensing deal through December 2028
2026-05-04First wave of New Britain CT layoffs begins, about 300 jobs, plant closing by 2027
2026-04-27DEWALT publishes study: 90% of construction pros see AI as indispensable within 5 years, only 8% use it
2026-04-01New $500 million share repurchase authorization approved
2026-02-20WARN notice filed for 441 job cuts in Verona, MS
2026-02-04Q4/FY2025 results announced with aerospace fasteners divestiture agreement, over $1.5B expected proceeds
2025-12-31FY2025 revenue reported at $15.13 billion, down 1.53% YoY; headcount down to ~43,500
2025-11-01Christopher Nelson becomes President and CEO; Donald Allan Jr. becomes Executive Chairman

Revision history

20 July 2026

First assessed. Losing its protection. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.

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