BA vs. XYL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 25, 2025

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

Company Profile

Symbol	BA	XYL
Company Name	The Boeing Company	Xylem Inc.
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Machinery
Market Capitalization	174.01 billion USD	34.53 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	October 13, 2011
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of BA and XYL 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.

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

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	BA	XYL
5-Day Price Return	-0.99%	0.02%
13-Week Price Return	13.24%	10.84%
26-Week Price Return	24.41%	8.22%
52-Week Price Return	32.69%	5.57%
Month-to-Date Return	3.73%	-1.90%
Year-to-Date Return	30.01%	22.28%
10-Day Avg. Volume	6.79M	1.03M
3-Month Avg. Volume	8.11M	1.35M
3-Month Volatility	27.87%	24.81%
Beta	1.51	1.14

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

BA

2,402.16%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 43.89%
Q3: 22.42%
Median: 12.50%
Q1: 5.21%
Min: -6.24%

BA’s Return on Equity of 2,402.16% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

XYL

8.70%

Machinery Industry

Max: 34.68%
Q3: 19.06%
Median: 13.13%
Q1: 8.53%
Min: -4.87%

XYL’s Return on Equity of 8.70% is on par with the norm for the Machinery industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

BA

-14.18%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 14.54%
Q3: 8.08%
Median: 6.17%
Q1: 2.49%
Min: -1.63%

BA has a negative Net Profit Margin of -14.18%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.

XYL

10.74%

Machinery Industry

Max: 19.74%
Q3: 11.24%
Median: 8.13%
Q1: 5.38%
Min: -1.11%

XYL’s Net Profit Margin of 10.74% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Machinery industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

BA

-12.27%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 16.63%
Q3: 10.38%
Median: 8.29%
Q1: 6.21%
Min: 0.95%

BA has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -12.27%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.

XYL

11.81%

Machinery Industry

Max: 26.63%
Q3: 16.15%
Median: 11.27%
Q1: 7.72%
Min: -4.91%

XYL’s Operating Profit Margin of 11.81% is around the midpoint for the Machinery industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	BA	XYL
Return on Equity (TTM)	2,402.16%	8.70%
Return on Assets (TTM)	-7.06%	5.66%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	-14.18%	10.74%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	-12.27%	11.81%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	-0.32%	37.81%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

BA

1.23

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 3.09
Q3: 1.98
Median: 1.23
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.02

BA’s Current Ratio of 1.23 aligns with the median group of the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

XYL

1.90

Machinery Industry

Max: 3.83
Q3: 2.32
Median: 1.72
Q1: 1.28
Min: 0.78

XYL’s Current Ratio of 1.90 aligns with the median group of the Machinery industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

BA

117.95

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 1.70
Q3: 1.04
Median: 0.68
Q1: 0.41
Min: 0.00

With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 117.95, BA operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Aerospace & Defense industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.

XYL

0.18

Machinery Industry

Max: 1.49
Q3: 0.75
Median: 0.44
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.00

Falling into the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, XYL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.18 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

BA

-3.60

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 36.57
Q3: 19.90
Median: 7.04
Q1: 2.40
Min: -7.63

BA has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -3.60. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.

XYL

55.35

Machinery Industry

Max: 67.55
Q3: 33.79
Median: 13.87
Q1: 7.97
Min: -1.43

XYL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 55.35 is in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	BA	XYL
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.23	1.90
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.38	1.31
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	117.95	0.18
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	-3.60	55.35

Growth

Revenue Growth

BA vs. XYL: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

BA vs. XYL: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

BA

0.09%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 2.03%
Q3: 1.22%
Median: 0.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BA’s Dividend Yield of 0.09% is consistent with its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

XYL

1.05%

Machinery Industry

Max: 5.32%
Q3: 2.84%
Median: 1.87%
Q1: 1.09%
Min: 0.00%

XYL’s Dividend Yield of 1.05% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

BA

0.00%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 83.87%
Q3: 49.90%
Median: 16.48%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BA has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

XYL

39.55%

Machinery Industry

Max: 202.17%
Q3: 98.65%
Median: 55.54%
Q1: 29.03%
Min: 0.00%

XYL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 39.55% is within the typical range for the Machinery industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	BA	XYL
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.09%	1.05%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	39.55%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

BA

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 65.97
Q3: 54.11
Median: 34.53
Q1: 23.66
Min: 0.00

P/E Ratio data for BA is currently unavailable.

XYL

37.52

Machinery Industry

Max: 53.66
Q3: 31.29
Median: 22.00
Q1: 16.18
Min: 7.00

A P/E Ratio of 37.52 places XYL in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

BA

2.26

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 8.07
Q3: 4.49
Median: 2.42
Q1: 1.39
Min: 0.00

BA’s P/S Ratio of 2.26 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.

XYL

4.03

Machinery Industry

Max: 5.04
Q3: 2.72
Median: 1.67
Q1: 1.04
Min: 0.24

XYL’s P/S Ratio of 4.03 is in the upper echelon for the Machinery industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

BA

1,764.78

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 13.67
Q3: 7.92
Median: 4.65
Q1: 2.68
Min: 0.82

At 1,764.78, BA’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

XYL

2.84

Machinery Industry

Max: 7.23
Q3: 3.90
Median: 2.52
Q1: 1.47
Min: 0.49

XYL’s P/B Ratio of 2.84 is within the conventional range for the Machinery 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.

BA vs. XYL: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	BA	XYL
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	--	37.52
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	2.26	4.03
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	1,764.78	2.84
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	30.83	40.41