Becton Dickinson and Co vs General Dynamics Corporation — how do they compare? Becton Dickinson and Co trades at $154.29 (market cap $41.51B), while General Dynamics Corporation trades at $370.25 (market cap $99.92B). The key difference: General Dynamics Corporation is far larger — about 2.4× Becton Dickinson and Co's market cap, and Becton Dickinson and Co pays the higher dividend (2.79%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BDX | GD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $41.51B | $99.92B |
Sector | Health | Industrials |
52-Week High | $185.39 | $376.88 |
52-Week Low | $135.49 | $297.05 |
Enterprise Value | $57.97B | $106.10B |
Dividend Yield | 2.79% | 1.72% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
BDX trades at $153.83, up 1.24% today, with technical indicators showing a neutral to bullish bias. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.90 exceeding expectations. Revenue growth remains steady, reaching $21.84B in 2025, though net margins have compressed to 5.12%. Recent news highlights BDX's innovation in medical technology and positive analyst sentiment.
The outlook for BDX appears balanced. Upside potential exists from continued earnings beats and strategic positioning in growing healthcare segments like GLP-1 drug support equipment. However, risks include margin pressure, elevated debt levels, and cautious hospital spending. The consensus price target of $173.40 suggests moderate upside from current levels.
General Dynamics (GD) trades at $372.78, down 0.61% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company reported strong Q1 2026 earnings, beating estimates with EPS of $4.10 versus $3.67 expected, and maintains solid fundamentals including 8.07% net income margin and 17.97% ROE. Revenue growth continues, reaching $52.55 billion in 2025, with a robust backlog of $130.8 billion highlighting strong demand in naval and defense sectors.
Outlook remains positive driven by defense spending tailwinds and submarine contract momentum, though valuation multiples like P/E of 23.46 suggest limited upside near-term. Risks include execution on large contracts and geopolitical volatility. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $395.83 price target, indicating ~6% potential appreciation from current levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Becton, Dickinson is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of medical surgical products, such as needles, syringes, and sharps-disposal units. The company also manufactures diagnostic instruments and reagents, as well as flow cytometry and cell-imaging systems. BD Interventional (largely the former Bard business) accounts for 23% of revenue. International revenue accounts for 44% of the company's business.
Read more on BDX →General Dynamics is a defense contractor and business jet manufacturer. The firm's segments include aerospace, combat systems, marine, and technologies. The company's aerospace segment creates Gulfstream business jets. Combat system produces land-based combat vehicles, such as the M1 Abrams tank. The marine subsegment creates nuclear-powered submarines, among other things. The technologies segment contains two main units, an IT business that primarily serves the government market and a mission systems business that focuses on products that provide command, control, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to the military.
Read more on GD →