BDX vs WMT: Dividend Comparison
Dividend data as of
Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX) from Health Care and Walmart Inc. (WMT) from Consumer Staples offer different dividend profiles for income-focused portfolios. BDX offers a significantly higher 2.36% yield compared to WMT's 0.72%, a gap of 1.64%. Both stocks show similar dividend growth rates, each around 6.2% over the past five years. WMT holds the edge in dividend safety with a "Safe" rating. Both are classified as Dividend Aristocrats.
Verdict
Yield Analysis
BDX yields 1.64% more than WMT. In dollar terms, BDX pays $4.20/share vs WMT's $0.91/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%).
WMT: Dividend growth is accelerating — the 3-year CAGR of 11.2% exceeds the 5-year rate of 6.4% and the 10-year rate of 3.9%.
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.
WMT: The payout ratio of 32% is well within sustainable levels, leaving room for future increases. Earnings cover the dividend 3.1x.
Estimated Annual Dividend Income
Based on current dividend yields. Actual income may vary.
What does $10,000 buy in BDX vs WMT 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 $133.79 per share, $10,000 buys about 74.7 shares of Walmart Inc. (WMT). Each share pays $0.91 per year in dividends, so the position starts out generating roughly $68 per year — about $6 a month.
BDX is the larger income stream from day one: $169 per year more on the same $10,000 invested.
What could $10,000 of BDX or WMT 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.
Walmart Inc. (WMT) has raised its dividend about 6.4% a year over the past five years. If that pace held, the $72 per year that $10,000 generates today at the current 0.72% yield would reach $134 per year by 2036 — a 1.3% yield on the original cost.
On those trailing rates, BDX pays more in 2036: $431 versus $134 per year. The projection assumes each five-year growth rate persists and no dividends are reinvested — real payouts will differ.
When would WMT's dividend growth overtake BDX's higher yield?
It doesn't, on the trailing numbers. Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX) yields more today (2.36% vs 0.72%) and has also grown its dividend at least as fast (6.2% vs 6.4% a year over five years). Unless WMT accelerates its raises or BDX stumbles, WMT never closes the income gap — BDX wins on both current income and growth.
Can BDX and WMT 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).
Walmart Inc. (WMT) earns $2.86 per share against $0.91 paid out in dividends — 3.1x coverage (a 32% payout ratio).
WMT's wider coverage leaves more cushion if earnings dip. As a rule of thumb, coverage below about 1.5x (a payout ratio above ~65%) is where a dividend starts to look stretched — worth watching for BDX if earnings weaken.
Which fits an early-retirement income portfolio better, BDX or WMT?
For income you need right now, Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX) leads: $100,000 invested today pays about $197 a month at the current 2.36% yield, versus $60 a month from Walmart Inc. (WMT) at 0.72%.
On consistency: BDX has raised its dividend 43 consecutive years; WMT has raised its dividend 43 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 $144/yr in WMT 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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