MDLN vs. STE: Medline vs. STERIS Stock Comparison
How do Medline (MDLN) and STERIS (STE) 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
Medline (MDLN) and STERIS (STE) both belong to the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, though MDLN is classified under Health Care Supplies while STE falls under Health Care Equipment.
STERIS (STE) has been public since June 1, 1992, giving it decades of market history across multiple cycles, while Medline (MDLN) listed only on December 17, 2025 and lacks comparable through-cycle data.
| Profile Item | MDLN | STE |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Medline Inc. Class A Common Stock | STERIS plc |
| 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 Equipment & Supplies |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Health Care Supplies | Health Care Equipment |
| Market Capitalization | 52.17 billion USD | 24.50 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | December 17, 2025 | June 1, 1992 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | MDLN | STE |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -- | -1.85% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -- | 9.57% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -- | 3.26% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Medline (MDLN) reports a negative beta of -0.93, suggesting inverse market sensitivity over the measurement window. That is uncommon for ordinary equities and can reflect commodity-linked or hedge-like exposure, but it can also come from statistical noise. STERIS (STE) has a non-negative beta of 0.81.
| Metric | MDLN | STE |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 47.93% | 26.39% |
| Beta (5Y) | -0.93 | 0.81 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -36.71% | -36.18% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 8.63M | 694.02K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both MDLN and STE need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | MDLN | STE |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -- | -0.23 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -- | -0.34 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Medline (MDLN) at 4.85% and STERIS (STE) at 11.61% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
4.85%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- Median
- 5.45%
- MDLN
- 4.85%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
11.61%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- STE
- 11.61%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
Net Margin (TTM)
STERIS (STE) at 13.41% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Medline (MDLN) at 1.85%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.85%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- MDLN
- 1.85%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
13.41%
- Max
- 29.35%
- STE
- 13.41%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
Operating Margin (TTM)
STERIS (STE) at 19.18% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Medline (MDLN) at 5.22%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
5.22%
- Max
- 35.43%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- MDLN
- 5.22%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
19.18%
- Max
- 35.43%
- STE
- 19.18%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | MDLN | STE |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 4.85% | 11.61% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.70% | 7.00% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 1.85% | 13.41% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 5.22% | 19.18% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 24.42% | 44.30% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Only one side can be read here: STERIS (STE) reports revenue growth of 8.73%, ranked against its industry; Medline (MDLN) has no revenue growth figure this period.
EPS Growth
Both companies show strong earnings momentum, but Medline (MDLN) at 117.38% is the standout with EPS growth above its industry range; STERIS (STE) at 27.90% also sits in the top quartile.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | MDLN | STE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -- | 8.73% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 9.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 117.38% | 27.90% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 94.97% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
STERIS (STE) at 2.05 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Medline (MDLN) at 4.04 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
4.04
- Max
- 7.59
- MDLN
- 4.04
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.30
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.05
- Max
- 7.59
- Q3
- 4.00
- STE
- 2.05
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.30
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Medline (MDLN) at 0.65 and STERIS (STE) at 0.28 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.65
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- MDLN
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.28
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.58
- STE
- 0.28
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | MDLN | STE |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 4.04 | 2.05 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.65 | 0.28 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.35 | 0.91 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Medline (MDLN) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile STERIS (STE) reports a yield of 1.02%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- MDLN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.02%
- STE
- 1.02%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Medline (MDLN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile STERIS (STE) reports a payout of 30.61%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- MDLN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
30.61%
- STE
- 30.61%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | MDLN | STE |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.02% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 30.61% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
STERIS (STE) at 29.93 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Medline (MDLN) at 90.09 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for MDLN’s trailing earnings.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
90.09
- MDLN
- 90.09
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
29.93
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- STE
- 29.93
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Medline (MDLN) at 1.70 and STERIS (STE) at 3.97 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.70
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- MDLN
- 1.70
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.03
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
3.97
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- STE
- 3.97
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Medline (MDLN) at 2.95 and STERIS (STE) at 3.38 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
MDLN
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
2.95
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- MDLN
- 2.95
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
STE
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
3.38
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- STE
- 3.38
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MDLN | STE |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 90.09 | 29.93 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 1.70 | 3.97 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.95 | 3.38 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.67% | 3.36% |