BDX vs ABT: which was the better investment?
Becton, Dickinson and Company against Abbott Laboratories on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from Mar 17, 1980 to Jul 13, 2026.
Set up your comparison
What are you comparing?
Pick one investment — or add several to build a portfolio.
Compare against
The benchmark your investment has to beat.
Time & money
When the money goes in, and how much.
Leave empty for earliest
Leave empty for today
0 for a one-time investment
Daily total-return data — dividends reinvested. Monthly additions buy on the first trading day.
Track your entire portfolio in one free Google Sheet
Enter your trades once and values update automatically. We'll send it straight to your inbox.
Related comparisons
Browse all match-ups on the comparison hub, build your own in the Compare Investments tool, or check a single asset's exact-date returns with the Investment Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Did BDX beat ABT?
No — measured from Mar 17, 1980 to Jul 13, 2026 with dividends reinvested, ABT came out ahead: $5,151,018 versus $2,214,527 from a $10,000 start. That gap compounds from a 14.4% annual return against 12.4%.
What would $10,000 in BDX be worth today?
$10,000 invested in Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) on Mar 17, 1980 would be worth about $2,214,527 as of Jul 13, 2026, a total return of 22045.3% (12.4% per year). The same $10,000 in ABT would be worth $5,151,018.
Which was riskier — BDX or ABT?
BDX swung with an annualized volatility of 25.3% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -51.2%; ABT ran at 25.4% volatility with a -45.7% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.41 for BDX vs 0.49 for ABT.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering Mar 17, 1980 through Jul 13, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.
Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?
Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with BDX vs ABT. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.