Becton Dickinson and Co vs Smith & Nephew plc — how do they compare? Becton Dickinson and Co trades at $149.95 (market cap $41.51B), while Smith & Nephew plc trades at $30.06 (market cap $12.40B). The key difference: Becton Dickinson and Co is far larger — about 3.3× Smith & Nephew plc's market cap, and Becton Dickinson and Co pays the higher dividend (2.79%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BDX | SNN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $41.51B | $12.40B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $185.39 | $38.70 |
52-Week Low | $135.49 | $28.73 |
Enterprise Value | $57.97B | $15.17B |
Dividend Yield | 2.79% | 2.62% |
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.
SNN trades at $31.08, up 1.24% with a bullish technical signal. The company shows improving fundamentals with 2024 revenue of $5.81B and net income of $412M, while recent earnings beat expectations. Strong cash flow generation and new product launches in robotics and wound care support growth. Analyst consensus is mixed with 27% buy ratings but majority holds.
Outlook remains positive with projected revenue growth and margin expansion, though recent earnings misses and elevated valuation metrics pose risks. The stock's technical strength and fundamental recovery present opportunity, but investor caution is warranted given mixed analyst sentiment and competitive pressures in medical technology.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Smith & Nephew designs, manufactures, and markets orthopedic devices, sports medicine and arthroscopic technologies, and wound-care solutions. Roughly 42% of the U.K.-based firm's revenue comes from orthopedic products, and another 30% is sports medicine and ENT. The remaining 28% of revenue is from the advanced wound therapy segment. Roughly half of Smith & Nephew's total revenue comes from the United States, just over 30% is from other developed markets, and emerging markets account for the remainder.
Read more on SNN →