BDX vs. UNH: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at BDX and UNH, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | BDX | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Becton, Dickinson and Company | UnitedHealth Group Incorporated |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Equipment & Supplies | Health Care Providers & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 55.59 billion USD | 335.03 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 21, 1973 | October 17, 1984 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of BDX and UNH 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 | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.22% | 4.58% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 10.50% | 22.12% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -12.48% | -31.55% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -18.33% | -36.61% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 3.61% | 7.13% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -14.52% | -26.87% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.37M | 8.39M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 2.38M | 14.98M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 27.16% | 44.69% |
| Beta | 0.26 | 0.43 |
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.
UNH
22.26%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 24.86%
- Q3
- 15.79%
- Median
- 8.56%
- Q1
- 5.75%
- Min
- -1.64%
In the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, UNH’s Return on Equity of 22.26% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
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.
UNH
5.04%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 11.56%
- Q3
- 5.45%
- Median
- 2.83%
- Q1
- 1.13%
- Min
- -1.71%
UNH’s Net Profit Margin of 5.04% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Health Care Providers & 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.
UNH
7.26%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 19.08%
- Q3
- 9.66%
- Median
- 4.77%
- Q1
- 2.46%
- Min
- -0.83%
UNH’s Operating Profit Margin of 7.26% is around the midpoint for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | BDX | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 6.31% | 22.26% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.90% | 7.01% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 7.51% | 5.04% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 11.83% | 7.26% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 45.08% | -- |
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.
UNH
0.81
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.00
- Q3
- 1.51
- Median
- 1.29
- Q1
- 0.92
- Min
- 0.14
UNH’s Current Ratio of 0.81 falls into the lower quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
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.
UNH
0.79
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.29
- Q3
- 1.24
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.50
- Min
- 0.00
UNH’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.79 is typical for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
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.
UNH
6.14
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 14.47
- Q3
- 7.50
- Median
- 4.52
- Q1
- 2.12
- Min
- -4.44
UNH’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.14 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | BDX | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.10 | 0.81 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.46 | 0.60 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.76 | 0.79 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 5.93 | 6.14 |
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.
UNH
2.30%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 5.93%
- Q3
- 2.59%
- Median
- 1.35%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UNH’s Dividend Yield of 2.30% is consistent with its peers in the Health Care Providers & Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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.
UNH
36.54%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 185.33%
- Q3
- 74.82%
- Median
- 36.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UNH’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 36.54% is within the typical range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | BDX | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.12% | 2.30% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 73.10% | 36.54% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
BDX
34.40
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 34.40 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.
UNH
15.86
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 40.02
- Q3
- 29.75
- Median
- 21.09
- Q1
- 14.18
- Min
- 7.05
UNH’s P/E Ratio of 15.86 is within the middle range for the Health Care Providers & 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
2.58
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 2.58 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.
UNH
0.80
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 3.15
- Q3
- 1.87
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.09
UNH’s P/S Ratio of 0.80 aligns with the market consensus for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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.
UNH
2.82
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 7.33
- Q3
- 4.45
- Median
- 2.52
- Q1
- 1.15
- Min
- 0.66
UNH’s P/B Ratio of 2.82 is within the conventional range for the Health Care Providers & 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 | UNH |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 34.40 | 15.86 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 2.58 | 0.80 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 1.94 | 2.82 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 21.67 | 13.36 |