On trailing earnings, A is cheaper: A trades at a 26.07 P/E and BDX at 37.02.

Which has grown faster, A or BDX?

Over the past five years, A grew revenue faster — A at a 4.45% CAGR versus BDX at 2.52%.

Does A or BDX pay a bigger dividend?

A yields 0.58% and BDX yields 2.56% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is A or BDX more profitable?

A runs the higher net margin — A at 19.55% versus BDX at 5.33%.

Which has been the better investment, A or BDX?

Over the past 10-year, A delivered the higher annualized total return — A at 11.94% versus BDX at 2.80%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A) vs Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX)

A leads on 9 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Agilent Technologies, Inc. and Becton, Dickinson and Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

$36.67B

$129.84Healthcare

BDX

Becton, Dickinson and Company

$52.98B

$146.24Healthcare

Total return — A vs BDX

growth of $100 · last 25y

A +385.6%BDX +532.5%BDX compounded faster

A BDX

A vs BDX: by the numbers

•BDX is the larger company ($52.98B vs $36.67B market cap).
•A trades at the lower earnings multiple (26.07 vs 37.02 P/E).
•A converts more revenue to profit (19.55% vs 5.33% net margin).
•A grew revenue faster over the past five years (4.45% vs 2.52% CAGR).
•BDX pays the higher dividend yield (2.56% vs 0.58%).

Which is better, A or BDX?

Metric tally: A 9 · BDX 8

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueA(lower P/E)

GrowthA(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeBDX(higher dividend yield)

QualityA(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	A	BDX
P/E ratio	26.07●	37.02
Forward P/E	19.69	10.91●
P/S ratio	5.10	1.92●
P/B ratio	5.18	1.70●
PEG ratio	9.41	2.28●
EV / EBITDA	19.58	13.81●
FCF yield	3.41%	7.66%●

Profitability

Metric	A	BDX
Gross margin	53.00%●	46.48%
Operating margin	21.50%●	10.61%
Net margin	19.55%●	5.33%
ROE	19.85%●	4.72%
ROIC	12.57%●	4.73%

Dividends

Metric	A	BDX
Dividend yield	0.58%	2.56%●
Payout ratio	16.36%	64.09%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	A	BDX
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	4.45%●	2.52%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	14.52%	16.26%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	0.05%●	-5.41%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-1.34%●	-2.99%

Frequently asked

Which is better, A or BDX?: It depends on your goal. value: A (lower P/E); growth: A (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: BDX (higher dividend yield); quality: A (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, A leads 9 to 8.
Is A or BDX cheaper?: On trailing earnings, A is cheaper: A trades at a 26.07 P/E and BDX at 37.02.
Which has grown faster, A or BDX?: Over the past five years, A grew revenue faster — A at a 4.45% CAGR versus BDX at 2.52%.
Does A or BDX pay a bigger dividend?: A yields 0.58% and BDX yields 2.56% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is A or BDX more profitable?: A runs the higher net margin — A at 19.55% versus BDX at 5.33%.
Which has been the better investment, A or BDX?: Over the past 10-year, A delivered the higher annualized total return — A at 11.94% versus BDX at 2.80%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full A analysis Full BDX analysis Interactive comparison tool

A & BDX appear in these rankings

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Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 13, 2026.