BDX vs. BRK.B: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at BDX and BRK.B, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | BDX | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Becton, Dickinson and Company | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Financials |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Equipment & Supplies | Financial Services |
| Market Capitalization | 55.49 billion USD | 1,076.36 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 21, 1973 | May 9, 1996 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of BDX and BRK.B 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | BDX | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 5.22% | 0.17% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 9.91% | 3.18% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -15.48% | -5.99% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -19.25% | 9.57% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 3.44% | -0.48% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -14.66% | 10.23% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.42M | 0.00M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 2.43M | 0.00M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 27.44% | 12.36% |
| Beta | 0.26 | 0.48 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
BDX
6.31%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 29.93%
- Q3
- 16.99%
- Median
- 9.28%
- Q1
- 5.10%
- Min
- -12.52%
BDX’s Return on Equity of 6.31% is on par with the norm for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
BRK.B
9.68%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 39.28%
- Q3
- 18.88%
- Median
- 9.97%
- Q1
- 4.03%
- Min
- -10.25%
BRK.B’s Return on Equity of 9.68% is on par with the norm for the Financial Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
BDX
7.51%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.41%
- Q3
- 13.71%
- Median
- 10.08%
- Q1
- 5.96%
- Min
- -5.58%
BDX’s Net Profit Margin of 7.51% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
BRK.B
17.00%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 52.16%
- Q3
- 25.35%
- Median
- 12.68%
- Q1
- 6.11%
- Min
- -11.69%
BRK.B’s Net Profit Margin of 17.00% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Financial Services industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
BDX
11.83%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.09%
- Q3
- 18.11%
- Median
- 15.07%
- Q1
- 8.48%
- Min
- -0.28%
BDX’s Operating Profit Margin of 11.83% is around the midpoint for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
BRK.B
13.29%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 75.57%
- Q3
- 37.78%
- Median
- 19.09%
- Q1
- 10.04%
- Min
- -19.42%
BRK.B’s Operating Profit Margin of 13.29% is around the midpoint for the Financial Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | BDX | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 6.31% | 9.68% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.90% | 5.44% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 7.51% | 17.00% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 11.83% | 13.29% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 45.08% | 16.97% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
BDX
1.10
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 5.19
- Q3
- 3.00
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- 0.86
BDX’s Current Ratio of 1.10 falls into the lower quartile for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
BRK.B
1.95
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 4.83
- Q3
- 2.70
- Median
- 1.44
- Q1
- 0.86
- Min
- 0.01
For the Financial Services industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
BDX
0.76
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 1.61
- Q3
- 0.76
- Median
- 0.45
- Q1
- 0.14
- Min
- 0.00
BDX’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.76. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
BRK.B
0.19
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 5.07
- Q3
- 2.14
- Median
- 0.66
- Q1
- 0.12
- Min
- 0.00
The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Financial Services industry.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
BDX
5.93
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 56.35
- Q3
- 25.56
- Median
- 9.60
- Q1
- 3.78
- Min
- -26.49
BDX’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.93 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
BRK.B
0.57
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 136.23
- Q3
- 56.08
- Median
- 6.55
- Q1
- 2.01
- Min
- -33.27
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Financial Services industry.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | BDX | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.10 | 1.95 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.46 | 1.68 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.76 | 0.19 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 5.93 | 0.57 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
BDX
2.12%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.15%
- Q3
- 1.76%
- Median
- 0.79%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.12%, BDX offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
BRK.B
0.00%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 8.12%
- Q3
- 3.37%
- Median
- 1.70%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK.B currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
BDX
73.10%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 160.00%
- Q3
- 66.60%
- Median
- 27.49%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BDX’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 73.10% is in the upper quartile for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies 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.
BRK.B
0.00%
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 132.10%
- Q3
- 64.32%
- Median
- 18.23%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BRK.B 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.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | BDX | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.12% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 73.10% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
BDX
34.56
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 67.29
- Q3
- 47.01
- Median
- 30.94
- Q1
- 23.91
- Min
- 10.79
BDX’s P/E Ratio of 34.56 is within the middle range for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
BRK.B
17.19
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 45.81
- Q3
- 30.21
- Median
- 16.29
- Q1
- 10.14
- Min
- 0.70
BRK.B’s P/E Ratio of 17.19 is within the middle range for the Financial Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
BDX
2.60
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 9.49
- Q3
- 5.41
- Median
- 2.86
- Q1
- 2.07
- Min
- 0.74
BDX’s P/S Ratio of 2.60 aligns with the market consensus for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
BRK.B
2.92
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 10.88
- Q3
- 5.34
- Median
- 2.64
- Q1
- 1.24
- Min
- 0.06
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Financial Services industry.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
BDX
1.94
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 10.85
- Q3
- 6.56
- Median
- 3.53
- Q1
- 2.36
- Min
- 0.71
BDX’s P/B Ratio of 1.94 is in the lower quartile for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
BRK.B
1.57
Financial Services Industry
- Max
- 7.93
- Q3
- 3.78
- Median
- 1.49
- Q1
- 0.88
- Min
- 0.08
BRK.B’s P/B Ratio of 1.57 is within the conventional range for the Financial Services 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | BDX | BRK.B |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 34.56 | 17.19 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 2.60 | 2.92 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 1.94 | 1.57 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 21.77 | 91.29 |