ETN vs. GD: Eaton vs. General Dynamics Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD) 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

Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but ETN is classified in Electrical Equipment while GD is classified in Aerospace & Defense.

Company profile comparison for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD)
Profile Item	ETN	GD
Name	Eaton Corporation plc	General Dynamics Corp.
Country/Region	Ireland	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Electrical Equipment	Aerospace & Defense
GICS Sub-Industry	Electrical Components & Equipment	Aerospace & Defense
Market Capitalization	132.76 billion USD	95.68 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	June 1, 1972	January 2, 1962
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ETN

GSPC

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…

Trailing total returns for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…

Calendar-year total returns for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD)
Metric	ETN	GD
Total Return (1Y)	-2.33%	6.52%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	19.68%	16.95%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	17.50%	14.65%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ETN

GSPC

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…

Distribution of monthly total returns for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD)
Metric	ETN	GD
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	43.57%	23.03%
Beta (5Y)	1.14	0.30
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-34.46%	-22.55%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.32M	1.19M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ETN and GD are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD)
Metric	ETN	GD
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.15	0.10
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.21	0.15

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Eaton (ETN) at 19.55% sits in the top ROE quartile, while General Dynamics (GD) at 18.01% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for ETN.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

19.55%

Max: 40.55%
ETN: 19.55%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

18.01%

Max: 40.55%
Q3: 19.29%
GD: 18.01%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Eaton (ETN) at 12.18% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of General Dynamics (GD) at 8.24%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

12.18%

Max: 27.47%
ETN: 12.18%
Q3: 12.10%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

8.24%

Max: 27.47%
Q3: 12.10%
GD: 8.24%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Eaton (ETN) at 17.85% and General Dynamics (GD) at 10.49% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

17.85%

Max: 36.60%
Q3: 18.33%
ETN: 17.85%
Median: 11.12%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

10.49%

Max: 36.60%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
GD: 10.49%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD)
Metric	ETN	GD
ROE (TTM)	19.55%	18.01%
ROA (TTM)	7.22%	6.23%
Net Margin (TTM)	12.18%	8.24%
Operating Margin (TTM)	17.85%	10.49%
Gross Margin (TTM)	35.16%	15.42%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Eaton (ETN) at 10.33% and General Dynamics (GD) at 10.13% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Eaton (ETN) at 10.00% and General Dynamics (GD) at 13.35% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD)
Metric	ETN	GD
Revenue Growth (YoY)	10.33%	10.13%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	9.77%	10.07%
EPS Growth (YoY)	10.00%	13.35%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	19.39%	8.22%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Eaton (ETN) at 1.23 and General Dynamics (GD) at 1.43 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

1.23

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.43
ETN: 1.23
Min: 0.36

GD

Capital Goods industry group

1.43

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.43
GD: 1.43
Min: 0.36

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Eaton (ETN) at 1.00 and General Dynamics (GD) at 0.33 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

1.00

Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
ETN: 1.00
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

GD

Capital Goods industry group

0.33

Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.60
GD: 0.33
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD)
Metric	ETN	GD
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.23	1.43
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	1.00	0.33
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.85	0.68

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Eaton (ETN) at 1.33% and General Dynamics (GD) at 1.76% offer top-quartile dividend income relative to share price within their industries.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

1.33%

Max: 2.66%
ETN: 1.33%
Q3: 1.14%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

1.76%

Max: 2.66%
GD: 1.76%
Q3: 1.14%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Eaton (ETN) at 43.36% and General Dynamics (GD) at 36.90% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

43.36%

Max: 67.39%
ETN: 43.36%
Q3: 28.02%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

36.90%

Max: 67.39%
GD: 36.90%
Q3: 28.02%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD)
Metric	ETN	GD
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.33%	1.76%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	43.36%	36.90%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Eaton (ETN) at 34.14 and General Dynamics (GD) at 20.84 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

34.14

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
ETN: 34.14
Median: 25.41
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

GD

Capital Goods industry group

20.84

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
Median: 25.41
GD: 20.84
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

General Dynamics (GD) at 1.69 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Eaton (ETN) at 4.15 sits in the pricier quartile — ETN costs more per dollar of sales.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

4.15

Max: 7.54
ETN: 4.15
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

GD

Capital Goods industry group

1.69

Max: 7.54
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
GD: 1.69
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

General Dynamics (GD) at 3.50 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Eaton (ETN) at 6.33 carries an above-peer premium to book — ETN is pricier on assets.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

6.33

Max: 9.66
ETN: 6.33
Q3: 5.00
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

GD

Capital Goods industry group

3.50

Max: 9.66
Q3: 5.00
GD: 3.50
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

Eaton (ETN) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Eaton (ETN) and General Dynamics (GD)
Metric	ETN	GD
P/E Ratio (TTM)	34.14	20.84
P/S Ratio (TTM)	4.15	1.69
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	6.33	3.50
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.29%	4.76%