BDX vs GPC: Dividend Comparison
Dividend data as of
Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX) from Health Care and Genuine Parts Co (GPC) from Consumer Discretionary offer different dividend profiles for income-focused portfolios. GPC edges ahead on yield at 2.79% versus BDX's 2.36%. Both stocks show similar dividend growth rates, each around 6.2% over the past five years. Both stocks carry a "Moderate" dividend safety rating. Both are classified as Dividend Aristocrats.
Verdict
Yield Analysis
GPC yields 0.43% more than BDX. In dollar terms, BDX pays $4.20/share vs GPC's $4.09/share annually.
Dividend Growth
BDX: Dividend growth has been steady, with a 3-year CAGR of 6.5% and a 5-year CAGR of 6.2% (10-year: 5.2%).
GPC: Dividend growth is slowing — the 3-year CAGR of 4.1% trails the 5-year rate of 6.0% and the 10-year rate of 5.1%.
Dividend Safety
BDX: The payout ratio of 68% is moderate. The dividend is currently covered by earnings but leaves less room for growth. Earnings cover the dividend 1.5x.
GPC: The payout ratio of 70% is moderate. The dividend is currently covered by earnings but leaves less room for growth. Earnings cover the dividend 1.4x.
Estimated Annual Dividend Income
Based on current dividend yields. Actual income may vary.
What does $10,000 buy in BDX vs GPC today?
At $177.39 per share, $10,000 buys about 56.4 shares of Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX). Each share pays $4.20 per year in dividends, so the position starts out generating roughly $237 per year — about $20 a month.
At $147.18 per share, $10,000 buys about 67.9 shares of Genuine Parts Co (GPC). Each share pays $4.09 per year in dividends, so the position starts out generating roughly $278 per year — about $23 a month.
GPC is the larger income stream from day one: $41 per year more on the same $10,000 invested.
What could $10,000 of BDX or GPC income look like in 10 years?
Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX) has raised its dividend about 6.2% a year over the past five years. If that pace held, the $236 per year that $10,000 generates today at the current 2.36% yield would reach $431 per year by 2036 — a 4.3% yield on the original cost.
Genuine Parts Co (GPC) has raised its dividend about 6.0% a year over the past five years. If that pace held, the $279 per year that $10,000 generates today at the current 2.79% yield would reach $501 per year by 2036 — a 5.0% yield on the original cost.
On those trailing rates, GPC pays more in 2036: $501 versus $431 per year. The projection assumes each five-year growth rate persists and no dividends are reinvested — real payouts will differ.
When would BDX's dividend growth overtake GPC's higher yield?
It doesn't, on the trailing numbers. Genuine Parts Co (GPC) yields more today (2.79% vs 2.36%) and has also grown its dividend at least as fast (6.0% vs 6.2% a year over five years). Unless BDX accelerates its raises or GPC stumbles, BDX never closes the income gap — GPC wins on both current income and growth.
Can BDX and GPC afford their dividends?
Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX) earns $6.12 per share against $4.20 paid out in dividends — 1.5x coverage (a 68% payout ratio).
Genuine Parts Co (GPC) earns $5.81 per share against $4.09 paid out in dividends — 1.4x coverage (a 70% payout ratio).
Coverage is similar for both, so neither dividend looks meaningfully more stretched than the other on current earnings.
Which fits an early-retirement income portfolio better, BDX or GPC?
For income you need right now, Genuine Parts Co (GPC) leads: $100,000 invested today pays about $232 a month at the current 2.79% yield, versus $197 a month from Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX) at 2.36%.
On consistency: BDX has raised its dividend 43 consecutive years; GPC has raised its dividend 39 consecutive years.
Many income investors simply hold both — the mix pairs current yield with growth and spreads single-name risk. Whichever way you lean, dividends are never guaranteed; recheck the payout each quarter rather than setting and forgetting.
$10,000 with DRIP: projected annual income
If each holding keeps raising its dividend at its real 5-year rate and every payment is reinvested, a $10,000 position pays $544/yr in BDX vs $659/yr in GPC by year 10.
Assumes dividends are reinvested at the current yield and grow at each holding's trailing 5-year dividend CAGR. A projection, not a prediction — no price appreciation modeled.
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