Data as of:
LIVE
BDX
Becton, Dickinson and Company · Healthcare / Medical Devices & Diagnostics
$180.94
-3.55% this month
VERSUS
COMPARE
ABT
Abbott Laboratories · Healthcare / Medical Devices, Diagnostics & Nutrition
$102.61
-10.33% this month
Comparison scoreboard
BDX LEADS 3/5AI Scorei
BDX 40.8
ABT ✓50.3
1Y Returni
BDX ✓-3.94%
ABT -23.75%
Fwd P/Ei
BDX ✓13.38
ABT 16.81
Target Up.i
BDX +10.02%
ABT ✓+17.96%
Op. Margini
BDX ✓15.73%
ABT 14.71%
Metrics last refreshed: 9/20/2026
Quick take
BDX vs ABT Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
BDX and ABT are both healthcare conglomerate dividend royalty with 50+ consecutive dividend increase streaks. BDX is a more focused medical supplies/diagnostics/interventional company with dominant syringe market share and Bard acquisition leverage. ABT is more diversified across medical devices (Libre CGM — a blockbuster growth product), diagnostics, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals. ABT offers higher growth potential from Libre's expansion; BDX offers consistent cash generation from essential medical consumables.
BDX vs ABT — Becton Dickinson (dominant global syringe manufacturer and medical diagnostics company with 50+ year dividend growth history, recovering from Bard acquisition leverage) versus Abbott Laboratories (diversified healthcare conglomerate with FreeStyle Libre CGM as a blockbuster growth product, cardiac device leadership, and Dividend King status).
Live analysis · updated 9/20/2026
BDX holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. BDX leads on both 1-year return (-3.94%) and forward P/E quality (13.38x vs 16.81x for ABT), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. On fundamentals, ABT is growing revenue faster (13.00%), while BDX maintains the higher operating margin (15.73%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for ABT (+17.96%) than for BDX (+10.02%).
Normalized 1Y performance
BDX
ABT
Recent returns
BDX
ABT
Analyst price targets & sentiment
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
BDX
Price target range
analyst mean$195.67
current price$180.94
+10.0% upside to analyst mean
ABT · 25 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.9/5.0)
22 Buy / 5 Hold / 0 Sell
Price target range
analyst low$120.12
analyst high$159.00
analyst mean$120.26
current price$102.61
+18.0% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
BDX may suit investors who:
- want exposure to essential medical consumables with 35-40% global syringe market share — recession-resistant volume demand regardless of economic cycle
- value Dividend King status and 50+ consecutive years of dividend growth as a signal of exceptional financial durability and shareholder commitment
- are comfortable with slower organic growth in exchange for highly predictable consumable revenue — BD's syringes and diagnostics consumables generate consistent cash flow
- believe BD's Bard acquisition leverage is manageable and debt paydown will unlock improved capital allocation for buybacks and increased dividends going forward
ABT may suit investors who:
- want exposure to FreeStyle Libre's continued global expansion — the CGM market is in early innings with massive non-diabetic wellness monitoring TAM expansion potential
- prefer ABT's four-segment diversification (devices, diagnostics, nutrition, pharma) providing revenue stability across healthcare spending cycles
- value Abbott's cardiac device pipeline (electrophysiology, structural heart) as a second major growth driver alongside Libre
- are comfortable with post-COVID diagnostics normalization headwind and want to own the long-term growth drivers embedded in Abbott's 100-year healthcare franchise
Performance & AI score
| Metric | BDX | ABT |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 40.8 | 50.3 |
| AI ranki | #1104 | #528 |
| Latest closei | $180.94 | $102.61 |
| 1M returni | -3.55% | -10.33% |
| 6M returni | +15.59% | -4.27% |
| 1Y returni | -3.94% | -23.75% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | BDX | ABT |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $9.61K (-3.9%) started 2025-09-18 | $7.63K (-23.7%) started 2025-09-18 |
| 5Y ago | $7.97K (-20.3%) started 2021-09-20 | $9.47K (-5.3%) started 2021-09-20 |
| 10Y ago | $13.56K (+35.6%) started 2016-09-19 | $34.41K (+244.1%) started 2016-09-19 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | BDX | ABT |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $48.44B | $176.41B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 30.77 | 32.99 |
| Forward P/Ei | 13.38 | 16.81 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | 5.49 |
| EV/Revenuei | 2.87 | 4.38 |
| Analyst targeti | $195.67 | $120.26 |
| Target upsidei | +10.02% | +17.96% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | BDX | ABT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 5.40% | 13.00% |
| Earnings growthi | -31.40% | -47.50% |
| EPS growthi | -31.40% | -47.50% |
| FCF margini | +19.92% | +15.48% |
| Operating margini | 15.73% | 14.71% |
| Profit margini | 4.19% | 11.65% |
| ROIC proxyi | 6.61% | 10.58% |
| Return on equityi | 6.61% | 10.58% |
| Dividend yieldi | 2.36% | 2.47% |
| Payout ratioi | 72.49% | 78.96% |
| Dividend growth streaki | No increase yet | No increase yet |
| Betai | 0.28 | 0.59 |
| Debt/equityi | 68.84 | 63.21 |
| Current ratioi | 0.86 | 1.38 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.33 | 0.80 |
Correlation
Over the past year, BDX and ABT have moved weakly in the same direction (correlation of 0.37), based on daily returns.
1Y
0.37
-1.0+1.0
5Y
0.42
-1.0+1.0
10Y
0.51
-1.0+1.0
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
BDX max drawdowni33.00%
ABT max drawdowni39.57%
BDX max wkly dropi16.86%
ABT max wkly dropi13.11%
5Y risk snapshot
BDX max drawdowni48.93%
ABT max drawdowni40.85%
BDX max wkly dropi20.00%
ABT max wkly dropi13.11%
10Y risk snapshot
BDX max drawdowni48.93%
ABT max drawdowni40.85%
BDX max wkly dropi20.00%
ABT max wkly dropi16.72%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | BDX | ABT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -3.94% | -23.75% |
| CAGRi | -3.95% | -23.76% | |
| Volatilityi | 30.73% | 26.76% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.12 | -1.05 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.16 | -1.45 | |
| Max drawdowni | 33.00% | 39.57% | |
| Current drawdowni | 13.85% | 24.89% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 14.70% | 19.30% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 18.64% | 22.21% | |
| Max daily dropi | 17.22% | 10.04% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 16.86% | 13.11% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | -24.53% | -11.88% |
| CAGRi | -5.48% | -2.50% | |
| Volatilityi | 25.09% | 23.04% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.28 | -0.19 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.36 | -0.27 | |
| Max drawdowni | 48.93% | 40.85% | |
| Current drawdowni | 34.33% | 26.48% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 17.99% | 17.55% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 22.07% | 19.81% | |
| Max daily dropi | 18.13% | 10.04% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 20.00% | 13.11% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +19.23% | +189.17% |
| CAGRi | +1.77% | +11.21% | |
| Volatilityi | 24.47% | 24.01% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.01 | 0.38 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.02 | 0.54 | |
| Max drawdowni | 48.93% | 40.85% | |
| Current drawdowni | 34.33% | 26.48% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 12.89% | 10.84% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 17.02% | 14.55% | |
| Max daily dropi | 18.13% | 10.04% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 20.00% | 16.72% |
Business comparison
| Category | BDX | ABT |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Becton, Dickinson and Company | Abbott Laboratories |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical Instruments & Supplies | Medical Devices |
| Core business | Becton Dickinson is a global medical technology company operating in three segments: BD Medical (medication delivery — syringes, infusion systems, medication management), BD Diagnostics (specimen collection, lab automation, microbiology testing), and BD Interventional (surgical devices for oncology, ophthalmology, peripheral vascular). BD is the world's largest manufacturer of syringes — a dominant position in consumable medical supplies with high recurring revenue. BD has pursued acquisitions (Bard in 2017 for $24B) that increased leverage, requiring ongoing debt reduction. | Abbott is a diversified healthcare company with four segments: Medical Devices (cardiac rhythm management, electrophysiology, neuromodulation, structural heart — Abbott's fastest-growing segment with Libre continuous glucose monitors and heart valves), Diagnostics (COVID tests drove massive revenue surge, now normalizing; molecular, immunoassay testing), Nutrition (Ensure, Pedialyte, Similac — consumer health nutrition), and Established Pharmaceuticals (brand drugs in emerging markets). Abbott's FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is the fastest-growing medical device product globally. |
| Investor focus | Investors focus on BD's Bard acquisition debt paydown progress, margin improvement from operational efficiency, new product launches in oncology and infection prevention, and consistent dividend growth (BD has raised dividends 50+ consecutive years — Dividend King status). | Investors focus on Abbott's FreeStyle Libre CGM growth trajectory (the dominant CGM globally and growing into non-diabetic wellness monitoring), cardiac device pipeline (electrophysiology, structural heart), post-COVID diagnostics revenue normalization, and dividend growth history. |
BDX strengths
- Dominant global syringe manufacturer: BD makes 35-40% of the world's syringes — irreplaceable healthcare infrastructure with consistent volume demand regardless of economic conditions
- Dividend King with 50+ consecutive increases: BD's incredibly long dividend growth streak reflects financial durability and shareholder commitment across multiple recessions and healthcare cycles
- High recurring consumable revenue: 70%+ of BD revenue is consumables — syringes, reagents, collection tubes used once and repurchased — creating highly predictable revenue streams
ABT strengths
- FreeStyle Libre CGM: the world's most prescribed CGM with 6M+ users globally — 20%+ annual growth from diabetic care and expanding into non-diabetic performance/wellness monitoring (massive TAM expansion)
- Diversified four-segment business: medical devices, diagnostics, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals provide revenue stability — no single segment dominates or creates catastrophic concentration risk
- Dividend Aristocrat with 50+ consecutive increases (Dividend King status): ABT split off AbbVie in 2013 and the combined Abbott + AbbVie dividend track record maintains Dividend King history
Risks to watch — BDX
- Bard acquisition leverage: BD took on significant debt for the 2017 Bard acquisition — ongoing debt paydown constrains capital allocation flexibility vs peers
- Organic growth below med-device peers: BD's large size and consumable focus means slower organic growth than higher-growth med-tech companies — more steady but less exciting growth profile
- Regulatory recall risk: BD has had medical device recalls historically — quality and regulatory compliance is an ongoing operational risk at their manufacturing scale
Risks to watch — ABT
- Post-COVID diagnostics revenue normalization: COVID testing created $8B+ in testing revenue that has largely disappeared — underlying diagnostics growth must absorb the decline
- Libre competition from Dexcom: DexCom and Medtronic compete directly for CGM market share — Libre's dominance isn't guaranteed as competitors improve product offerings
- Nutrition segment margin pressure: infant formula supply chain disruptions (2022 Similac plant closure) and commodity costs affect nutrition segment margins unpredictably
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