Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue.
Becton Dickinson's Degree of Operating Leverage for the quarter that ended in Jun. 2026 was 0.91. The higher Degree of Operating Leverage, the higher operating risk the company will take.
The industry rank for Becton Dickinson's Degree of Operating Leverage or its related term are showing as below:
XSWX:BDX's Degree of Operating Leverage is ranked worse than 55.74% of 793
companies
in the Medical Devices & Instruments industry
Industry Median: 0.46
vs XSWX:BDX: 0.91
Becton Dickinson (XSWX:BDX) Degree of Operating Leverage Explanation
Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) is a leverage ratio that measures the sensitivity of a company’s operting income, also referred to as Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT), to fluctuations in its Revenue. DOL is a method used to quantify a company’s operating risk. This risk is related to the company's structure of variable costs and fixed costs. Since the fixed costs do not allow the company to adjust the operating costs, the operating risk rises with a higher fixed-to-variable costs proportion.
A high Degree of Operating Leverage indicates that the company’s fixed costs exceed its variable costs. By increasing the sales, the company can earn more profits. In addition, the company must be able to maintain relatively high sales to cover all fixed costs.
Be Aware
The use of operating leverage varies across different industries and business sectors, and the application of Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) should be adjusted accordingly.
Becton Dickinson Degree of Operating Leverage Related Terms
Becton Dickinson Degree of Operating Leverage Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Becton Dickinson's Degree of Operating Leverage can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Becton Dickinson Degree of Operating Leverage Chart
XSWX:BDX vs RMD, MDLN, WST: Degree of Operating Leverage Comparison
For the Medical Instruments & Supplies subindustry, Becton Dickinson's Degree of Operating Leverage, along with its competitors' market caps and Degree of Operating Leverage data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Becton Dickinson Degree of Operating Leverage vs Medical Devices & Instruments Industry
For the Medical Devices & Instruments industry and Healthcare sector, Becton Dickinson's Degree of Operating Leverage distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Becton Dickinson's Degree of Operating Leverage falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
** TTM data of EBIT and Revenue was used to calculate Degree of Operating Leverage.
*** Please be aware that the Degree of Operating Leverage calculations are based on company-level data using the primary share class. The calculated data provided is for demonstration purposes and may slightly differ from the results displayed in the title due to potential variations caused by currency exchange rate differences throughout the year.
What does a Degree of Operating Leverage of 0.91 mean?
Becton Dickinson (XSWX:BDX) has a Degree of Operating Leverage of 0.91 as of Jun. 2026. Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. View historical data for Becton Dickinson and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Becton Dickinson ranks #442 out of 793 companies in the Medical Devices & Instruments industry, placing it in the top 55.7%.
Is Becton Dickinson's Degree of Operating Leverage too high?
Becton Dickinson's current Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.91. The Medical Devices & Instruments industry median Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.46. Becton Dickinson's value of 0.91 is 97.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Becton Dickinson ranks #442 out of 793 companies in the Medical Devices & Instruments industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Becton Dickinson has a GF Score™ of 65/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Becton Dickinson's Degree of Operating Leverage compare to RMD and MDLN?
According to the Medical Devices & Instruments industry distribution chart, Becton Dickinson ranks #442 out of 793 companies for Degree of Operating Leverage. This places Becton Dickinson in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.46. Becton Dickinson's value of 0.91 is 97.8% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Degree of Operating Leverage for a Medical Devices & Instruments company?
The median Degree of Operating Leverage among Medical Devices & Instruments companies is 0.46, based on 793 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Degree of Operating Leverage significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Degree of Operating Leverage should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Becton Dickinson's current Degree of Operating Leverage of 0.91 is 97.8% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Degree of Operating Leverage mean?
A high Degree of Operating Leverage can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL) measures the percentage change in EBIT for a unit change in Revenue. View historical data for Becton Dickinson and its competitors. For the Medical Devices & Instruments industry, the median Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.46 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Becton Dickinson's current Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.91. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Becton Dickinson stock overvalued right now?
Becton Dickinson (XSWX:BDX) has a current Degree of Operating Leverage of 0.91. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF147.64, compared to a current price of CHF149.08 — trading 1% above its estimated fair value. The current Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.91 and 97.8% above the Medical Devices & Instruments industry median of 0.46. Becton Dickinson's overall GF Score™ is 65/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Degree of Operating Leverage calculated?
Degree of Operating Leverage is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Becton Dickinson (XSWX:BDX), the current Degree of Operating Leverage is 0.91 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Becton Dickinson (XSWX:BDX) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Becton Dickinson stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of CHF149.08 is trading 1% above its estimated GF Value™ of CHF147.64.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:BDX:
Degree of Operating Leverage: 0.91
GF Value™: CHF147.64 vs. price of CHF149.08 (1% above fair value)
Industry Position: 97.8% above the Medical Devices & Instruments median (#442 of 793)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:BDX stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Becton Dickinson operates in four business units. Medical essentials (35% of total sales) includes the legacy medical surgical unit, which sells catheters, syringes, and infection prevention products. Connected care (24%) core products include the Alaris infusion pump, Pyxis dispensing system, and pharmacy automation platforms. Biopharma systems (13%) produces prefillable syringes and autoinjectors. Interventional (29%) is composed of the surgery, peripheral vascular, and urology segments. More than 60% of revenue comes from the United States.
65GF Score
Get the complete analysis for XSWX:BDX
Degree of Operating Leverage is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
XSWX:BDX has been successfully added to your 
