ALC vs BDX
Alcon Inc. and Becton Dickinson, both Healthcare
Becton Dickinson is the larger company at $40B against $32B. On trailing earnings ALC is the cheaper of the two at a P/E of 54.7 against 57.3, a gap that is only a bargain if the two are growing at similar rates. Over the past year BDX returned +44% against -15% for ALC.
| Figure | ALC | BDX |
|---|---|---|
| Last close | $72.70 | $190 |
| Market cap | $32B | $40B |
| Trailing P/Elower is cheaper for the same earnings, not automatically better | 54.7 | 57.3 |
| Dividend yield | n/a | 2.2% |
| 1-year return | -15% | +44% |
| 5-year return | +0.3% | +5.8% |
| Ryufin Smart Scoresector-relative, 1–10 | 6/10 | 6/10 |
Figures from SEC filings and end-of-day closes. Highlighting marks the higher or lower number, which is not the same as the better investment, a low P/E can be a warning and a high one can be deserved.
Alcon Inc.
Revenue of $5.3B in H2 2025, net income $454M.
Becton Dickinson
Revenue of $5.0B in Q3 2026, net income $377M. Its largest reported line is Connected Care, 38% of the disclosed total.
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