Danaher Corporation vs Smith & Nephew plc — how do they compare? Danaher Corporation trades at $198.81 (market cap $140.88B), while Smith & Nephew plc trades at $30.06 (market cap $12.40B). The key difference: Danaher Corporation is far larger — about 11.4× Smith & Nephew plc's market cap, and Smith & Nephew plc pays the higher dividend (2.62%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DHR | SNN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $140.88B | $12.40B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $242.05 | $38.70 |
52-Week Low | $161.91 | $28.73 |
Enterprise Value | $153.66B | $15.17B |
Dividend Yield | 0.8% | 2.62% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Danaher (DHR) trades at $200.16, up 0.56% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong analyst support. The company reported Q1 2026 EPS of $2.06, beating estimates of $1.94, marking the third consecutive quarterly beat. Revenue for 2025 was $24.57 billion with a net income margin of 14.89%, though margins have compressed from prior years. Recent news includes the acquisition of Masimo and a $172.5 million legal settlement finalized in April 2026.
The outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $211.33, implying ~5.6% upside, supported by 69% buy ratings. Key risks include margin pressure, integration challenges from acquisitions, and macroeconomic sensitivity. The stock offers a dividend yield from its $0.40 quarterly payout, with solid cash flow generation offsetting debt 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
In 1984, Danaher's founders transformed a real estate organization into an industrial-focused manufacturing company. Through a series of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, including the Fortive separation in 2016, Danaher now focuses primarily on manufacturing scientific instruments and consumables in three segments: life sciences, diagnostics, and environmental and applied solutions. In late 2019, Danaher separated from its dental business through an initial public offering process, and in early 2020, it acquired GE's Biopharma business, now called Cytiva, which added to its life sciences segment.
Read more on DHR →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 →