Becton Dickinson vs 3m (BDX vs MMM)
Side by side from their SEC filings: revenue, margins, growth, returns and valuation, plus short interest, insider activity and institutional ownership.
3m is the larger company by revenue ($24.9B vs $21.8B) and market value ($87.8B vs $51.0B). Becton Dickinson has grown revenue faster over the last 4 fiscal years (+14.2% cumulative vs -29.4%). 3m runs the higher operating margin (18.6% vs 11.8%). 3m trades at the lower trailing P/E (30.2x vs 32.6x).
About Becton Dickinson
Becton Dickinson & Co (BD) is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products. Its products serve healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry, and the general public. BD operates through three main segments: BD Medical, which offers medical technologies and devices; BD Life Sciences, which provides diagnostic and research tools; and BD Interventional, which supplies vascular, urology, oncology, and surgical specialty products.
About 3m
3M Company is a diversified technology firm operating globally in three main segments: Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, and Consumer. It manufactures a wide range of products including abrasives, adhesives, personal safety equipment, electronic materials, home care items, and office supplies. The company serves various markets such as industrial, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and consumer goods through multiple distribution channels worldwide.
Head to head (BDX FY2025 vs MMM FY2025)
| Metric | BDXFY2025 | MMMFY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $21.84B | $24.95B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 8.2% | 1.5% |
| Gross margin | 45.4% | 39.9% |
| Operating margin | 11.8% | 18.6% |
| Net margin | 7.7% | 13.0% |
| Net income | $1.68B | $3.25B |
| Diluted EPS | $5.82 | $6.00 |
| FCF margin | 12.2% | 5.6% |
| ROE | 6.6% | 68.5% |
| Long-term debt / equity | 0.69× | 2.30× |
| Market cap | $50.97B | $87.80B |
| P/E | 32.6× | 30.2× |
Fundamentals are from each company’s SEC filings (BDX FY2025, MMM FY2025). ROE is net income over fiscal-year-end equity; long-term debt / equity counts non-current term debt only. P/E and market cap are derived from stored market prices, last retrieved on a rolling basis and typically within the past week.
Five-year trend (as reported)
| Revenue | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDX | $19.13B | $18.87B | $19.37B | $20.18B | $21.84B |
| MMM | $35.35B | $26.16B | $24.61B | $24.57B | $24.95B |
Peer standing
Where each company ranks among the 88 medical device companies, on the same scale. Each figure is ranked only against peers that report it. Percentiles describe position in the distribution, not a rating.
| Metric | BDX | MMM |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 45.4%22nd percentile of 77 | 39.9%17th percentile of 77 |
| Operating margin | 11.8%76th percentile of 80 | 18.6%89th percentile of 80 |
| Net margin | 7.7%73rd percentile of 81 | 13.0%84th percentile of 81 |
| FCF margin | 12.2%71st percentile of 74 | 5.6%66th percentile of 74 |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +8.2%35th percentile of 87 | +1.5%23rd percentile of 87 |
| ROE | 6.6%67th percentile of 79 | 68.5%97th percentile of 79 |
| P/E | 32.6×61st percentile of 32 | 30.2×55th percentile of 32 |
| Long-term debt / equity | 0.69×66th percentile of 54 | 2.30×85th percentile of 54 |
| Short interest (days to cover) | 4.80d66th percentile of 88 | 3.72d55th percentile of 88 |
Short interest
| FINRA settlement data | BDX | MMM |
|---|---|---|
| Shares sold short | 9.4M | 9.6M |
| Change vs prior settlement | -6.5% | -3.3% |
| Days to cover | 4.80 | 3.72 |
| As of settlement | 2026-08-14 | 2026-08-14 |
Source: FINRA Consolidated Short Interest. FINRA is the owner and source of the FINRA-supplied data; republishing or redistributing it is not permitted. Not presented as a percentage of float. No FINRA endorsement of this product is implied.
Insider activity (last 90 days)
| Form 4 activity (codes P/S) | BDX | MMM |
|---|---|---|
| Buys | 0 | 0 |
| Sells | 7 ($1.6M) | 5 ($4.3M) |
Non-derivative purchases (code P) and sales (code S) reported on SEC Form 4, which may be open-market or private (grants, exercises and tax withholding excluded). For context, about 15% of covered companies saw any reported insider purchase (code P) in a 90-day window.
Held by the same investors
5 tracked 13F managers hold both Becton Dickinson and 3m as of their latest quarterly filings: AQR Capital Management, Bridgewater Associates, Citadel Advisors, Gotham Asset Management, Two Sigma Investments. See which superinvestors hold your own portfolio with the smart money checker.
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Data sourced from SEC EDGAR. Figures are as-reported and may be unaudited or restated; verify against the source filings before relying on them. Comparisons are descriptive (higher or lower on a reported figure), not a rating or a recommendation. Informational only. Not investment advice.