ABT vs. GE: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ABT and GE, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

ABT’s market capitalization stands at 233.90 billion USD, while GE’s is 263.27 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.

GE carries a higher beta at 1.39, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ABT (beta: 0.74) exhibits greater stability.

Symbol	ABT	GE
Company Name	Abbott Laboratories	General Electric Company
Country	US	US
Sector	Healthcare	Industrials
Industry	Medical - Devices	Aerospace & Defense
CEO	Robert B. Ford	H. Lawrence Culp Jr.
Price	134.44 USD	246.88 USD
Market Cap	233.90 billion USD	263.27 billion USD
Beta	0.74	1.39
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
IPO Date	March 17, 1980	January 2, 1962
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ABT and GE by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

ABT vs. GE: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

ABT

30.76%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 49.04%
Q3: 9.53%
Median: -7.46%
Q1: -32.83%
Min: -82.64%

In the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s Return on Equity of 30.76% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

GE

36.78%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 42.57%
Q3: 16.67%
Median: 8.39%
Q1: -0.77%
Min: -23.36%

In the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, GE’s Return on Equity of 36.78% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

ABT

19.13%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 21.88%
Q3: 6.63%
Median: -1.11%
Q1: -21.08%
Min: -51.95%

In the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s Return on Invested Capital of 19.13% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

GE

7.17%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 23.42%
Q3: 8.86%
Median: 5.47%
Q1: -5.60%
Min: -22.46%

GE’s Return on Invested Capital of 7.17% is in line with the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

ABT

31.89%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 44.80%
Q3: 9.77%
Median: -5.53%
Q1: -29.37%
Min: -87.68%

A Net Profit Margin of 31.89% places ABT in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

GE

17.63%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 22.67%
Q3: 8.04%
Median: 4.95%
Q1: -5.07%
Min: -16.58%

A Net Profit Margin of 17.63% places GE in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

ABT

16.97%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 30.13%
Q3: 13.12%
Median: 3.47%
Q1: -24.42%
Min: -80.56%

An Operating Profit Margin of 16.97% places ABT in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

GE

18.89%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 22.01%
Q3: 11.49%
Median: 8.96%
Q1: 3.77%
Min: -4.96%

An Operating Profit Margin of 18.89% places GE in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ABT	GE
Return on Equity (TTM)	30.76%	36.78%
Return on Assets (TTM)	16.58%	5.64%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	19.13%	7.17%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	31.89%	17.63%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	16.97%	18.89%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	55.89%	38.11%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

ABT

1.78

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 12.68
Q3: 6.30
Median: 4.05
Q1: 1.85
Min: 0.01

ABT’s Current Ratio of 1.78 falls into the lower quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

GE

1.08

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 5.13
Q3: 3.36
Median: 2.16
Q1: 1.20
Min: 0.41

GE’s Current Ratio of 1.08 falls into the lower quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

ABT

0.27

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 2.34
Q3: 1.09
Median: 0.37
Q1: 0.08
Min: 0.00

ABT’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.27 is typical for the Medical - Devices industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

GE

1.02

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 1.20
Q3: 0.73
Median: 0.51
Q1: 0.09
Min: 0.00

GE’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Aerospace & Defense industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.02. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

ABT

15.39

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 18.18
Q3: 7.53
Median: 0.85
Q1: -9.80
Min: -33.94

ABT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 15.39 is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

GE

8.03

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 12.62
Q3: 7.38
Median: 2.95
Q1: 1.68
Min: -6.68

GE’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.03 is in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ABT	GE
Current Ratio (TTM)	1.78	1.08
Quick Ratio (TTM)	1.27	0.77
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.27	1.02
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.16	0.16
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	0.60	0.73
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	15.39	8.03

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ABT and GE. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

ABT

1.70%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 3.57%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 1.70%, ABT offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Devices industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

GE

0.49%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 6.00%
Q3: 0.66%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GE’s Dividend Yield of 0.49% is consistent with its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

ABT

28.92%

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 102.12%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ABT’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 28.92% is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Devices industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

GE

17.50%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 172.02%
Q3: 32.47%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GE’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 17.50% is within the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ABT	GE
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.70%	0.49%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	28.92%	17.50%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

ABT

17.40

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 90.56
Q3: 56.92
Median: 43.19
Q1: 21.79
Min: 5.55

In the lower quartile for the Medical - Devices industry, ABT’s P/E Ratio of 17.40 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

GE

37.76

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 75.34
Q3: 54.40
Median: 38.63
Q1: 26.10
Min: 16.44

GE’s P/E Ratio of 37.76 is within the middle range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

ABT

1.73

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 6.56
Q3: 3.52
Median: 2.22
Q1: 0.55
Min: 0.03

ABT’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.73 is within the middle range of its peers in the Medical - Devices industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.

GE

2.47

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 10.68
Q3: 5.36
Median: 2.31
Q1: 1.47
Min: 0.01

GE’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.47 is within the middle range of its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

ABT

5.52

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 15.74
Q3: 8.12
Median: 3.40
Q1: 2.37
Min: 0.42

ABT’s P/S Ratio of 5.52 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Devices industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

GE

6.63

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 19.34
Q3: 9.54
Median: 2.71
Q1: 1.59
Min: 0.35

GE’s P/S Ratio of 6.63 aligns with the market consensus for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

ABT

4.81

Medical - Devices Industry

Max: 16.65
Q3: 8.03
Median: 3.73
Q1: 1.92
Min: 0.65

ABT’s P/B Ratio of 4.81 is within the conventional range for the Medical - Devices industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

GE

13.72

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 16.08
Q3: 8.12
Median: 4.12
Q1: 2.69
Min: 0.69

GE’s P/B Ratio of 13.72 is in the upper tier for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

ABT vs. GE: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Medical - Devices and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ABT	GE
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	17.40	37.76
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	1.73	2.47
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	5.52	6.63
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	4.81	13.72
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	35.14	59.73
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	21.49	27.52
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	5.68	6.82