BDX vs. GH: Becton, Dickinson vs. Guardant Health Stock Comparison
How do Becton, Dickinson (BDX) and Guardant Health (GH) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Becton, Dickinson (BDX) and Guardant Health (GH) both fall under the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group, but BDX is classified in Health Care Equipment & Supplies while GH is classified in Health Care Providers & Services.
| Profile Item | BDX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Becton, Dickinson and Company | Guardant Health, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Health Care Equipment & Services | Health Care Equipment & Services |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Equipment & Supplies | Health Care Providers & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Health Care Equipment | Health Care Services |
| Market Capitalization | 57.71 billion USD | 20.41 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | February 21, 1973 | October 4, 2018 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BDX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 57.61% | 66.53% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 7.79% | 92.76% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 4.70% | 8.36% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Guardant Health (GH) has an aggressive beta of 1.69, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Becton, Dickinson (BDX) is defensive at 0.19 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | BDX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 26.68% | 53.23% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.19 | 1.69 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -40.06% | -85.09% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.77M | 1.97M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BDX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 2.00 | 1.17 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 3.59 | 1.84 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Becton, Dickinson (BDX) earns 5.66% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Guardant Health (GH) has no ROE this period.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
5.66%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- BDX
- 5.66%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
- GH
- --
Net Margin (TTM)
Guardant Health (GH) reports a negative net margin of -37.93%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Becton, Dickinson (BDX) reports 5.89%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
5.89%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- BDX
- 5.89%
- Median
- 2.18%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
-37.93%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
- GH
- -37.93%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Guardant Health (GH) reports a negative operating margin of -37.06%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Becton, Dickinson (BDX) reports 21.63%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
21.63%
- Max
- 35.43%
- BDX
- 21.63%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
-37.06%
- Max
- 35.43%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
- GH
- -37.06%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BDX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 5.66% | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.59% | -19.92% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 5.89% | -37.93% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 21.63% | -37.06% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 47.02% | 65.19% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Guardant Health (GH) at 32.88% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Becton, Dickinson (BDX) at 8.24% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for GH.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Becton, Dickinson (BDX) reports EPS growth of -1.86%, ranked against its industry; Guardant Health (GH) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BDX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.24% | 32.88% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.99% | 29.75% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -1.86% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -0.34% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Guardant Health (GH) at 3.60 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Becton, Dickinson (BDX) at 0.87 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for BDX.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.87
- Max
- 7.59
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- BDX
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.30
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
3.60
- Max
- 7.59
- Q3
- 4.00
- GH
- 3.60
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.30
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Becton, Dickinson (BDX) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66 against its industry range, while Guardant Health (GH) reports no figure this period.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.66
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- BDX
- 0.66
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
- GH
- --
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BDX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.87 | 3.60 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.66 | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.95 | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Becton, Dickinson (BDX) nor Guardant Health (GH) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- BDX
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- GH
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Guardant Health (GH) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Becton, Dickinson (BDX) reports a payout of 72.49%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
72.49%
- BDX
- 72.49%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- GH
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BDX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 72.49% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Becton, Dickinson (BDX) trades at 41.87 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Guardant Health (GH) has no P/E ratio this period.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
41.87
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- BDX
- 41.87
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
- GH
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Becton, Dickinson (BDX) at 2.97 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Guardant Health (GH) at 15.96 clears its benchmark range — GH looks notably rich on sales.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.97
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- BDX
- 2.97
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.03
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
15.96
- GH
- 15.96
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Guardant Health (GH) reports a negative P/B ratio of -73.67, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Becton, Dickinson (BDX) reports 2.34, ranking against industry peers normally.
BDX
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.34
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- BDX
- 2.34
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
GH
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
-73.67
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
- GH
- -73.67
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BDX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 41.87 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.97 | 15.96 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.34 | -73.67 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 7.18% | -0.30% |