# How Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/bdx
> Data as of October 20, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on BDX alone. It places BDX (Becton, Dickinson and Company) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where BDX stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: BDX's full trading record, from May 2001 through September 2026. The crash tests reach back to 2000 using older funds and the S&P 500. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** BDX has run far ahead of the market, rising 26.2% over the past 3 months against 3.9% for the S&P 500 and 3.2% for the Nasdaq 100. Its medical device peers were far apart over the past 3 months, from RVTY (Revvity, up 46.6%) to ABT (Abbott Laboratories, up 1.6%).
- **Stock or market?:** BDX's 26.2% gain over the past 3 months far outran its industry: the medical devices ETF IHI (iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF) rose 7.5%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its medical device peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: RVTY (Revvity) rose 46.6%, while ABT (Abbott Laboratories) rose 1.6%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** Over the past year, BDX rose 32.3% against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100. On the flip side, BDX finished behind the S&P 500 in both 2024 and 2025.
- **Long term:** BDX turned $10,000 into $17,100 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500.
- **In a crash:** In the 2022 bear market, BDX held up better than its medical device peers, including ABT (Abbott Laboratories), DHR and MDT. That said, BDX fell further than the S&P 500 in three of the last five sell-offs, including the February 2018 volatility shock (10.8% against 6.5%).
- **Diversification:** BDX is a real diversifier: a correlation of 0.16 with the S&P 500 over 5 years and 0.16 with the total US market, less closely than 90% of stocks worth at least $300 million. BDX's link to the S&P 500 has loosened: a correlation of 0.16 over the past 5 years, down from 0.53 in the 5 years before.
- **Better options**
  - **Popular alternatives:** COR (Cencora) earned more than BDX with less volatility over the past 5 years: 24.2% a year at 22.8% volatility, against 2.3% a year at 24.1%.
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** JNJ (Johnson & Johnson, pharmaceuticals) and NVS (Novartis, pharmaceuticals) earned more than BDX with less volatility over the past 5 years. JNJ returned 12.7% a year at 17.9% volatility, against 2.3% a year at 24.1%.
  - **Whole market:** 760 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than BDX with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them VTI (Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF), VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF) and BRK-B (Berkshire Hathaway).

## How much would $10,000 in BDX have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in BDX over the past 25 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of BDX over the same span and BDX's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in BDX at the end of September 2001 would have grown to $94,758 by September 2026, less than the $114,557 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Six of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of BDX, and TMO finished highest, at $501,156.

## BDX at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout.

- BDX's deepest decline since it began trading in 2001 was 39.9%, from July 2023 to May 2025. It has not yet climbed back to that peak.
- Over 24 full calendar years, BDX's best was 2013, when it returned 44.3%, and its worst was 2008, when it lost 16.9%. It lost money in seven of those years.
- BDX is 7.0% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Healthcare (Medical - Instruments & Supplies)
- Trading since: May 11, 2001
- Market value: $53B
- Volatility (5 years): 24.1%; Sharpe ratio: 0.22
- Worst decline ever: −39.9%, from July 27, 2023 to May 6, 2025; not yet back at its high

| Period | BDX total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | +7.2% |
| 3 months | +26.2% |
| 6 months | +23.7% |
| year to date | +28.9% |
| 1 year | +32.3% |
| 3 years | +1.6% |
| 5 years | +12.2% |
| 10 years | +71.4% |

## BDX against the whole market

Where BDX ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

### How does BDX rank among all stocks?

This section ranks BDX on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history.

- BDX's worst decline of the past 10 years ranks in the top 7% of the 2,187 stocks worth at least $300 million, where the top fell the least.
- BDX's 3-year return ranks in the bottom 24% of the 3,017 stocks worth at least $300 million with 3 years of history.

| Measure | BDX | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +32.3% | 912 of 3,287 (top 28%) |
| 3-year return | +1.6% | 2,307 of 3,017 (top 77%) |
| 5-year return | +12.2% | 1,565 of 2,893 (top 55%) |
| 10-year return | +71.4% | 1,470 of 2,202 (top 67%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 24.1% | 267 of 2,893 (top 10%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.22 | 1,799 of 2,893 (top 63%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −39.9% | 152 of 2,187 (top 7%) |

### What has beaten BDX on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer).

- 112 stocks and 648 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than BDX over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 21% of the 3,633 screened.
- Among those with at least half BDX's swings, DXJ has the best return for its risk: 26.6% a year at 19.1% volatility, 21% less than BDX's 24.1%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.34 against 0.22 for BDX.
- Among BDX's popular alternatives, COR is in the region. COR earned 24.2% a year against 2.3% a year for BDX, at 22.8% volatility, 5% less than BDX's 24.1%.

### Is there a better investment than BDX?

The table below lists investments that beat BDX over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes.

- Among BDX's popular alternatives, COR earned more than BDX with less volatility over the past 5 years: 24.2% a year at 22.8% volatility, against 2.3% a year at 24.1%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, JNJ (pharmaceuticals) and NVS (pharmaceuticals) earned more than BDX with less volatility over the past 5 years. JNJ returned 12.7% a year at 17.9% volatility, against 2.3% a year at 24.1%.
- Across the whole market, 760 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than BDX with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them VTI, VOO and BRK-B.

The 15 strongest of 760 investments that beat BDX over the past 5 years, out of 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million.

| Investment | Group | Annual return (5 years) | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline (10 years) | 10Y return | Correlation with BDX | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BDX: Becton, Dickinson and Company (this page) |  | +2.3% | 24.1% | 0.22 | −39.9% | +71.4% |  |  |
| [SGOV](https://easycompare.io/research/sgov): iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Treasury Bonds | +3.8% | 0.3% | 13.25 | −0.3% | — | -0.03 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| JAAA: Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF | CLO Bonds | +5.1% | 1.7% | 2.98 | −2.6% | — | -0.01 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| FBT: First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund | Healthcare | +10.8% | 22.2% | 0.58 | −33.3% | +203% | 0.39 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Higher return in most periods |
| [KO](https://easycompare.io/research/ko): The Coca-Cola Company | Food & Beverages | +14.7% | 16.8% | 0.91 | −37.0% | +204% | 0.40 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [VOO](https://easycompare.io/research/voo): Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | US Large-Cap Equity | +12.8% | 16.9% | 0.80 | −34.0% | +324% | 0.16 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [WMT](https://easycompare.io/research/wmt): Walmart Inc. | Discount Retail | +20.8% | 22.6% | 0.96 | −25.7% | +508% | 0.06 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [BRK-B](https://easycompare.io/research/brk-b): Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Insurance | +13.4% | 17.1% | 0.82 | −29.6% | +274% | 0.34 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [TRV](https://easycompare.io/research/trv): The Travelers Companies, Inc. | Property & Casualty Insurance | +22.4% | 22.3% | 1.02 | −46.3% | +347% | 0.27 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| VRIG: Invesco Variable Rate Investment Grade ETF | Bonds | +4.7% | 1.3% | 3.51 | −13.1% | +40.5% | 0.04 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | International Equity | +17.0% | 11.1% | 1.48 | −32.4% | +194% | 0.42 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| FTLS: First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF | Broad Market | +10.2% | 10.4% | 0.99 | −20.6% | +158% | 0.22 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline; Smaller losses in recent crashes |
| BALT: Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | Crypto | +6.3% | 3.3% | 1.85 | −4.9% | — | 0.23 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| FLRT: Pacer Aristotle Pacific Floating Rate High Income ETF | Financials | +6.0% | 2.3% | 2.55 | −21.0% | +58.0% | 0.13 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | Gold | +17.7% | 18.9% | 0.96 | −26.4% | +213% | 0.40 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |
| [PG](https://easycompare.io/research/pg): The Procter & Gamble Company | Household & Personal Products | +5.1% | 18.3% | 0.37 | −23.8% | +145% | 0.33 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline |

## BDX against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against BDX, compared period by period and year by year.

### How do BDX's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings.

- Only COR was both more rewarding and calmer than BDX over the past 5 years, earning a higher annual return with lower volatility.
- 12 of the 21 popular alternatives earned less than BDX over the past 5 years while swinging more, the weaker corner of the map.
- Over the past 5 years, BDX returned 2.3% a year, less than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (24.1% against 17.1%).

### Has BDX consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares BDX with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years.

- Only one of the 21 popular alternatives, RVTY, outperformed BDX in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- MCK and COR earned more for the risk they took than BDX (a higher Sharpe ratio) and fell less in their worst decline of the past 10 years.
- MCK outperformed BDX over all three long-term periods but in only one of the five short-term ones, so BDX has had the better of it lately.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of BDX | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BDX: Becton, Dickinson and Company (this page) | +32.3% | +1.6% | +12.2% | +71.4% |  |  | 0.22 |
| RVTY: Revvity, Inc. | +64.0% | +54.6% | −10.6% | +203% | 5/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term | consistent | 0.11 |
| [TMO](https://easycompare.io/research/tmo): Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | +26.8% | +49.5% | +15.1% | +366% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.24 |
| [CAH](https://easycompare.io/research/cah): Cardinal Health, Inc. | +65.3% | +191% | +479% | +349% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 1.55 |
| DVA: DaVita Inc. | +36.9% | +126% | +53.7% | +187% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.42 |
| [MCK](https://easycompare.io/research/mck): McKesson Corporation | +31.3% | +131% | +413% | +586% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 1.44 |
| [HCA](https://easycompare.io/research/hca): HCA Healthcare, Inc. | +8.3% | +97.6% | +93.6% | +513% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.59 |
| [COR](https://easycompare.io/research/cor): Cencora, Inc. | +5.7% | +86.5% | +195% | +406% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 1.07 |
| [SYK](https://easycompare.io/research/syk): Stryker Corporation | −19.2% | +18.0% | +17.2% | +197% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.25 |
| RMD: ResMed Inc. | −8.6% | +75.3% | −1.7% | +331% | 1/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.15 |
| STE: STERIS plc | −6.0% | +7.0% | +4.5% | +262% | 1/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.17 |
| [DHR](https://easycompare.io/research/dhr): Danaher Corporation | +8.3% | +10.8% | −17.6% | +232% | 0/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.01 |
| [ABT](https://easycompare.io/research/abt): Abbott Laboratories | −18.7% | +13.0% | −8.0% | +204% | 0/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.04 |
| [EW](https://easycompare.io/research/ew): Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | +17.3% | +27.1% | −23.6% | +125% | 0/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.01 |
| ICUI: ICU Medical, Inc. | +37.3% | +49.0% | −30.5% | +12.5% | 1/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.02 |
| PODD: Insulet Corp. | −56.4% | −1.4% | −52.2% | +255% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | -0.12 |
| [BSX](https://easycompare.io/research/bsx): Boston Scientific Corporation | −54.7% | −8.9% | +2.5% | +98.1% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.15 |
| [MDT](https://easycompare.io/research/mdt): Medtronic Plc | +1.9% | +43.6% | −8.8% | +46.7% | 0/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.03 |
| COO: The Cooper Companies, Inc. | −21.2% | −27.1% | −42.3% | +32.5% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.21 |
| BAX: Baxter International Inc. | +6.2% | −20.7% | −66.7% | −40.7% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.45 |
| ZBH: Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. | −5.6% | −5.5% | −31.1% | −16.1% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.14 |
| TFX: Teleflex Incorporated | +1.6% | −28.1% | −63.4% | −17.4% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.41 |

### How did BDX do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2002, along with where BDX ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- BDX finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 13 of its 24 full calendar years, and behind it in each of the last three.
- Among its popular alternatives, COO came out ahead of BDX most often, in 16 of the 24 years both traded.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, BDX finished in the top quarter in two of 24 years and in the bottom quarter in three. In 2025, it ranked 17 of 22.

| Year | BDX | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | −12.5% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | −5.3% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | −2.7% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | +5.1% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +1.9% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | −6.8% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +22.2% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | +6.6% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +31.2% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +9.2% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How BDX has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

### What were BDX's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high.

- Not every decline was the market's doing: BDX fell 39.9% from July 2023 to May 2025, while the S&P 500 rose 26.4%.
- The slowest recovery came after BDX fell 34.1% from January to November 2008; it did not regain that peak until May 2011, two years later.
- In three of BDX's five worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −39.9% | July 27, 2023 | May 6, 2025 | not yet | +26.4% |  |
| −34.8% | April 16, 2002 | July 19, 2002 | May 27, 2003 | −24.9% | dot-com bust |
| −34.1% | January 16, 2008 | November 20, 2008 | May 9, 2011 | −44.0% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −29.6% | February 5, 2020 | March 23, 2020 | April 7, 2022 | −32.6% | Covid crash |
| −20.7% | July 7, 2011 | November 23, 2011 | February 5, 2013 | −13.4% | 2011 euro debt crisis |

### How did BDX do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far BDX, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000.

- Among its popular alternatives, ABT held up best, falling less than BDX in five of the nine crashes they both traded through.
- BDX began trading after the dot-com bust, but 17 of its popular alternatives lived through it. The mildest fall among them was SYK's 26.9%, against 47.5% for the S&P 500.
- BDX fell less than the S&P 500 in four of the nine crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when BDX fell 34.1% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

| Crash | Dates | BDX fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | not trading | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −34.1% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −1.6% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −18.3% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −15.1% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −10.8% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −20.4% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −21.8% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −19.7% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −2.0% | −3.4% |

### How closely does BDX move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell.

- 15 of the 21 popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than BDX's 0.69, led by MCK, CAH and COR.
- MCK took just 27% of the S&P 500's losses, against 77% for BDX, while still keeping 72% of its gains.
- Over the past 10 years, BDX captured 53% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 77% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.48. Its share of the market's losses was larger than its share of the gains.

Measured over the past 10 years of monthly returns against SPY.

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BDX: Becton, Dickinson and Company (this page) | 53.0% | 77.0% | 0.48 |
| RVTY: Revvity, Inc. | 111% | 146% | 1.10 |
| [TMO](https://easycompare.io/research/tmo): Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. | 104% | 104% | 0.81 |
| [CAH](https://easycompare.io/research/cah): Cardinal Health, Inc. | 71.0% | 51.0% | 0.75 |
| DVA: DaVita Inc. | 90.0% | 111% | 1.05 |
| [MCK](https://easycompare.io/research/mck): McKesson Corporation | 72.0% | 27.0% | 0.56 |
| [HCA](https://easycompare.io/research/hca): HCA Healthcare, Inc. | 135% | 140% | 1.37 |
| [COR](https://easycompare.io/research/cor): Cencora, Inc. | 80.0% | 58.0% | 0.56 |
| [SYK](https://easycompare.io/research/syk): Stryker Corporation | 82.0% | 96.0% | 0.88 |
| RMD: ResMed Inc. | 91.0% | 89.0% | 0.56 |
| STE: STERIS plc | 89.0% | 97.0% | 0.76 |
| [DHR](https://easycompare.io/research/dhr): Danaher Corporation | 84.0% | 84.0% | 0.75 |
| [ABT](https://easycompare.io/research/abt): Abbott Laboratories | 76.0% | 79.0% | 0.64 |
| [EW](https://easycompare.io/research/ew): Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | 88.0% | 120% | 0.97 |
| ICUI: ICU Medical, Inc. | 78.0% | 136% | 0.69 |
| PODD: Insulet Corp. | 81.0% | 82.0% | 0.92 |
| [BSX](https://easycompare.io/research/bsx): Boston Scientific Corporation | 76.0% | 109% | 0.72 |
| [MDT](https://easycompare.io/research/mdt): Medtronic Plc | 62.0% | 105% | 0.68 |
| COO: The Cooper Companies, Inc. | 78.0% | 137% | 0.85 |
| BAX: Baxter International Inc. | 45.0% | 125% | 0.64 |
| ZBH: Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. | 62.0% | 139% | 0.88 |
| TFX: Teleflex Incorporated | 79.0% | 170% | 1.01 |

### What diversifies BDX?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions).

- Moving a fifth of the money in BDX into SPMO would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 18% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+0.8% for BDX alone, +5.4% for the mix).
- GLD made money in six of the seven calendar years in which BDX lost money.
- Among large ETFs, LVHI, DXJ and EMLP have moved largely independently of BDX over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.42 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.

| Investment | Correlation with BDX | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in BDX's 7 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | 0.42 | +119% | 11.1% | 1.48 | 3 of 7 |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.33 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 4 of 7 |
| EMLP: First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund | 0.35 | +101% | 14.5% | 1.04 | 3 of 7 |
| FDL: First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund | 0.48 | +91.8% | 14.4% | 0.98 | 4 of 7 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | -0.07 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 5 of 7 |
| DBEF: Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF | 0.28 | +85.0% | 13.8% | 0.96 | 4 of 7 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.40 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 6 of 7 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.00 | +136% | 20.8% | 0.93 | 4 of 7 |

## Common questions

### What was BDX's worst drawdown?

BDX's deepest decline since it began trading in 2001 was 39.9%, from July 2023 to May 2025. It has not yet climbed back to that peak.

### What were BDX's best and worst years?

Over 24 full calendar years, BDX's best year was 2013, when it returned 44.3%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -16.9%.

### Is there a better investment than BDX?

Among BDX's popular alternatives, COR earned more than BDX with less volatility over the past 5 years: 24.2% a year at 22.8% volatility, against 2.3% a year at 24.1%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, JNJ (pharmaceuticals) and NVS (pharmaceuticals) earned more than BDX with less volatility over the past 5 years. JNJ returned 12.7% a year at 17.9% volatility, against 2.3% a year at 24.1%.

### Is BDX more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. BDX's volatility over the past 5 years was 24.1%, 1.4 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, BDX's return lands within 24.1% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

### What is BDX's Sharpe ratio?

BDX's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.22, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so BDX earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

### How correlated is BDX with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, BDX's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.16 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against BDX instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a BDX holding.

### What are the best alternatives to BDX?

Of the 21 popular alternatives we compared, one outperformed BDX in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: RVTY.

### Did BDX outperform the S&P 500?

BDX finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 13 of 24 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned -12.5%, against +17.7% for the index.

### How did BDX do in stock market crashes?

BDX fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in four of the nine major crashes it has traded through, and further in three. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when BDX fell 34.1% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

### What diversifies BDX?

These had a low correlation with BDX over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.42), DXJ (correlation 0.33) and EMLP (correlation 0.35); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.14), CLS (correlation -0.15) and FIX (correlation -0.12). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

- [Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/tmo)
- [Cardinal Health (CAH) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/cah)
- [McKesson (MCK) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/mck)
- [HCA Healthcare (HCA) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/hca)
- [Cencora (COR) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/cor)
- [Stryker (SYK) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/syk)
- [Danaher (DHR) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/dhr)
- [Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/abt)
- [Edwards Lifesciences (EW) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ew)
- [Boston Scientific (BSX) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/bsx)
- [Medtronic (MDT) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/mdt)
- [Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/schd)

## Explore further

- Full page with charts: https://easycompare.io/research/bdx
- All research pages: https://easycompare.io/llms.txt
- Compare the entire market against BDX live: https://betterthanspy.com/?b=BDX&utm_source=easycompare&utm_medium=research