GD vs. SWK: General Dynamics vs. Stanley Black & Decker Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) 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

General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but GD is classified in Aerospace & Defense while SWK is classified in Machinery.

Company profile comparison for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)
Profile Item	GD	SWK
Name	General Dynamics Corp.	Stanley Black & Decker Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Machinery
GICS Sub-Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization	95.68 billion USD	17.08 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

SWK

GSPC

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK), 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

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Trailing total returns for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)
Metric	GD	SWK
Total Return (1Y)	6.52%	83.07%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	16.95%	17.07%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	14.65%	-5.19%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

SWK

GSPC

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK), 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

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Distribution of monthly total returns for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)
Metric	GD	SWK
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	23.03%	38.68%
Beta (5Y)	0.30	1.10
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-22.55%	-68.03%
Avg. Volume (3M)	1.19M	1.67M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

GD and SWK 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 General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)
Metric	GD	SWK
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.10	2.04
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.15	3.57

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both General Dynamics (GD) at 18.01% and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 9.44% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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%

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

9.44%

Max: 40.55%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
SWK: 9.44%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both General Dynamics (GD) at 8.24% and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 5.53% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

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%

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

5.53%

Max: 27.47%
Q3: 12.10%
Median: 6.30%
SWK: 5.53%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both General Dynamics (GD) at 10.49% and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 8.71% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

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%

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

8.71%

Max: 36.60%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
SWK: 8.71%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)
Metric	GD	SWK
ROE (TTM)	18.01%	9.44%
ROA (TTM)	6.23%	3.48%
Net Margin (TTM)	8.24%	5.53%
Operating Margin (TTM)	10.49%	8.71%
Gross Margin (TTM)	15.42%	32.16%

Growth

Revenue Growth

General Dynamics (GD) at 10.13% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at -1.53% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 35.90% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while General Dynamics (GD) at 13.35% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for SWK.

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)
Metric	GD	SWK
Revenue Growth (YoY)	10.13%	-1.53%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	10.07%	-3.71%
EPS Growth (YoY)	13.35%	35.90%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	8.22%	-26.81%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both General Dynamics (GD) at 1.43 and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 1.42 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

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

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

1.42

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.43
SWK: 1.42
Min: 0.36

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both General Dynamics (GD) at 0.33 and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 0.58 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

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

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

0.58

Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.60
SWK: 0.58
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)
Metric	GD	SWK
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.43	1.42
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.33	0.58
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.68	2.69

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

General Dynamics (GD) at 1.76% earns its spot in the top quartile of its industry’s yields; Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 2.89% is past the top of its own peer range — territory where a dividend-safety check matters more than the headline number.

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%

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

2.89%

SWK: 2.89%
Max: 2.66%
Q3: 1.14%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both General Dynamics (GD) at 36.90% and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 59.68% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

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%

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

59.68%

Max: 67.39%
SWK: 59.68%
Q3: 28.02%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)
Metric	GD	SWK
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.76%	2.89%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	36.90%	59.68%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both General Dynamics (GD) at 20.84 and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 20.58 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

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

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

20.58

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
Median: 25.41
SWK: 20.58
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both General Dynamics (GD) at 1.69 and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 1.12 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

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

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

1.12

Max: 7.54
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
SWK: 1.12
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both General Dynamics (GD) at 3.50 and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 1.93 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

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

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

1.93

Max: 9.66
Q3: 5.00
Median: 3.12
SWK: 1.93
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

General Dynamics (GD) vs. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for General Dynamics (GD) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)
Metric	GD	SWK
P/E Ratio (TTM)	20.84	20.58
P/S Ratio (TTM)	1.69	1.12
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	3.50	1.93
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	4.76%	11.37%