Becton Dickinson (BDX) vs Illumina (ILMN)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Illumina (ILMN) has outperformed Becton Dickinson (BDX) over the past year, gaining 170.6% versus a gain of 19.9%. Over five years, BDX leads with a -2.6% price change compared with -32.9% for ILMN. Becton Dickinson is the larger company by market cap ($49.78 billion vs $39.95 billion), about 1.2 times the size.
On valuation, Becton Dickinson trades at a lower forward P/E (13.7x vs 43.2x for Illumina). Becton Dickinson pays a dividend yielding 2.29%, while Illumina does not currently pay one. Illumina converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 19.6% versus 7.7%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | BDX | ILMN |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $182.75 | $264.57 |
| Market cap | $49.78B | $39.95B |
| 1-day change | +1.44% | -1.19% |
| YTD return | +19.78% | +101.72% |
| 1-year return | +19.87% | +170.58% |
| 5-year return | -2.60% | -32.85% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 42.50 | 49.36 |
| Forward P/E | 13.74 | 43.24 |
| EPS (TTM) | $4.30 | $5.36 |
| Dividend yield | 2.29% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $4.19 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $21.84B | $4.34B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +8.24% | -0.66% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $1.68B | $850.00M |
| Gross margin | 45.44% | 66.08% |
| Operating margin | 11.81% | 18.58% |
| Net margin | 7.68% | 19.57% |
| 52-week high | $193.07 | $309.35 |
| 52-week low | $127.59 | $88.00 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -5.35% | -14.48% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +6.20% | -12.25% |
| Average volume | 1.79M | 2.66M |
| Shares outstanding | 272.39M | 151.00M |
| Employees | 72,000 | 8,600 |
| Sector | Health Care | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical/Dental Instruments | Diagnostics & Research |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- ILMN has outperformed BDX by 150.7 percentage points over the past year.
- Becton Dickinson offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (2.29% vs 0.00%).
- Illumina is more profitable, keeping 19.6 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus 7.7 cents for Becton Dickinson.
- Becton Dickinson grew revenue faster in its latest fiscal year (+8.24% vs -0.66%).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Becton Dickinson in Health Care and Illumina in Healthcare.
About Becton Dickinson
BDX stock →Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. It operates through Medical Essentials, Connected Care, BioPharma Systems, Interventional and Life Sciences segments.
Health Care · Medical/Dental Instruments · 72,000 employees
About Illumina
ILMN stock →Illumina, Inc. provides sequencing- and array-based solutions for genetic and genomic analysis in the Americas, Europe, Greater China, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.
Healthcare · Diagnostics & Research · 8,600 employees
BDX vs ILMN FAQ
Which is bigger, Becton Dickinson or Illumina?
Becton Dickinson (BDX) is larger, with a market capitalization of $49.78B compared with $39.95B for Illumina (ILMN).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, BDX or ILMN?
ILMN returned +170.58% over the past 12 months, compared with +19.87% for BDX (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, BDX or ILMN?
BDX has the lower trailing P/E at 42.5, versus 49.4 for ILMN. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Becton Dickinson or Illumina?
Becton Dickinson pays a dividend yielding 2.29%, while Illumina does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are Becton Dickinson and Illumina in the same industry?
No. Becton Dickinson is in the Health Care sector, while Illumina is in Healthcare.