Smith & Nephew plc vs Xylem, Inc. — how do they compare? Smith & Nephew plc trades at $29.83 (market cap $12.54B), while Xylem, Inc. trades at $122.15 (market cap $28.76B). The key difference: Xylem, Inc. is far larger — about 2.3× Smith & Nephew plc's market cap, and Smith & Nephew plc pays the higher dividend (2.65%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| SNN | XYL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $12.54B | $28.76B |
Sector | Health | Industrials |
52-Week High | $38.70 | $152.95 |
52-Week Low | $28.73 | $106.34 |
Enterprise Value | $15.57B | $30.54B |
Dividend Yield | 2.65% | 1.4% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Smith & Nephew (SNN) trades at $29.76, down 1.06% with bearish technical signals. The company shows improving fundamentals with revenue growth from $5.8B to $6.2B and net income margin expanding to 10.08% in 2025. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations but the company lowered full-year revenue guidance from 6% to 4% growth due to U.S. Orthopaedics weakness.
While valuation multiples appear reasonable (P/E 20.41, EV/EBITDA 9.9), the stock faces headwinds from mixed earnings performance and cautious analyst sentiment. The primary investment case hinges on execution in robotics and wound care segments offsetting orthopedic challenges, with downside risk from continued U.S. market softness.
XYL trades at $121.59, up 0.33% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong quarterly earnings beats. Revenue grew to $9.04B in 2025, with net income margin expanding to 10.59%. Recent acquisitions like Cornell Pump and Roper Pump aim to strengthen its industrial water technology presence, while AI-driven demand for water-treatment equipment supports growth.
The outlook is positive, with a consensus price target of $150.43 implying 24% upside, backed by margin expansion and strategic acquisitions. Risks include execution of integration and potential revenue delays from electric metering projects, as noted in Q2 2026 results. Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans bullish, with 47.5% buy ratings.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Xylem is a global leader in water technology and offers a wide range of solutions, including the transport, treatment, testing, and efficient use of water for customers in the utility, industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. Xylem was spun off from ITT in 2011. Based in Rye Brook, New York, Xylem has a presence in over 150 countries and employs 16,200. The company generated $6.2 billion in revenue and $611 million in adjusted operating income in 2021.
Read more on XYL →