DHR vs TDY: How Danaher Corporation and Teledyne Technologies Compare (2026)
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
DHR is the larger of the two ($141.64B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (21.70x forward earnings, beta 0.82). TDY is the smaller challenger ($29.39B), priced similarly on forward earnings (23.83x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
DHR vs TDY: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of July 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | DHR | TDY | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $141.64B | $29.39B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 21.70 | 23.83 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Trailing P/E | 35.91 | 30.71 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 0.82 | 0.92 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 50% of range | 72% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 2.69 | 2.75 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Before you buy: how DHR and TDY affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. DHR and TDY share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined DHR and TDY exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Danaher Corporation (DHR) do?
Danaher Corporation is a global science and technology company built around three segments: Biotechnology (bioprocessing tools and consumables used to make biologic drugs, led by Cytiva and Pall), Life Sciences (instruments and reagents for research, including brands like Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, SCIEX, and Leica Microsystems), and Diagnostics (clinical and molecular testing through Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, Radiometer, Leica Biosystems, and Cepheid). A large share of revenue is recurring consumables and service tied to installed instruments and ongoing drug manufacturing, which is the core of the investment appeal. Danaher runs the well-known Danaher Business System, a continuous-improvement operating model it uses to drive margins and integrate acquisitions.
What does Teledyne Technologies (TDY) do?
Teledyne Technologies is a diversified industrial-technology company that makes sophisticated sensing, imaging, instrumentation, and electronics products. Its portfolio spans digital imaging (including high-end industrial and scientific cameras, infrared and thermal sensors, and space and defense imaging, expanded by its acquisition of FLIR), aerospace and defense electronics, environmental and analytical instruments, and engineered systems. Teledyne makes money selling specialized hardware and instruments to demanding customers in defense, aerospace, industrial, scientific, medical, and environmental markets, where performance and reliability matter more than price. The company favors niche, high-barrier markets and grows both organically and through a steady stream of acquisitions, integrating them under a disciplined operating model. Its products often serve mission-critical applications, from machine vision on factory lines to sensors on spacecraft and military platforms. Headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California, Teledyne serves a global customer base across many specialized end markets.
DHR vs TDY: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- DHR drivers: Bioprocessing recovery; Recurring consumables and razor-and-blade mix.
- TDY drivers: Digital imaging and FLIR; Diversification across resilient niches.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Valuation is the most cited risk, since DHR often trades at a premium multiple (trailing P/E has ranged roughly from the mid-30s to mid-40s), leaving little room for disappointment. For TDY, teledyne's industrial and instrumentation segments are exposed to manufacturing and capital-spending cycles, so a slowdown in global industrial activity can pressure orders.
DHR or TDY: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick DHR if you believe its drivers more; TDY if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the DHR and TDY guides.
DHR vs TDY: the full fundamentals
DHR. Danaher grew 2025 revenue about 2.9% to ~$24.6B with ~2% core growth, while adjusted EPS grew faster on margins and buybacks. The stock has typically carried a premium valuation, with a trailing P/E in the mid-30s to mid-40s and a forward P/E closer to the low 20s as estimates rise. Figures are approximate and as of JULY 2026.
TDY. Teledyne trades at a premium to average industrials, reflecting its diversified portfolio of high-barrier niche technologies, steady margins, and a long acquisition track record. The qualitative profile is a disciplined industrial-technology compounder with defense and imaging exposure. The premium multiple leaves it sensitive to industrial cycles and to the pace and pricing of future acquisitions.
Headline figures (approximate, JULY 2026): DHR shows revenue (fy2025) ~$24.6B, adj. diluted eps (fy2025) ~$7.80, free cash flow (fy2025) ~$5.3B, 2026 adj. eps guidance ~$8.35 to $8.55; TDY shows revenue (ttm) ~$5.5 to 6 billion, revenue growth low-to-mid single digit organically, more with acquisitions, operating margin ~20% on an adjusted basis, largest segment digital imaging (including FLIR).
The bottom line: DHR vs TDY
DHR and TDY are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined DHR and TDY exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how DHR or TDY fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Danaher Corporation with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how DHR fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between DHR and TDY?
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Danaher Corporation is a global science and technology company built around three segments: Biotechnology (bioprocessing tools and consumables used to make biologic drugs, led by Cytiva and Pall), Life Sciences (instruments and reagents for research, including brands like Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, SCIEX, and Leica Microsystems), and Diagnostics (clinical and molecular testing through Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, Radiometer, Leica Biosystems, and Cepheid). Teledyne Technologies is a diversified industrial-technology company that makes sophisticated sensing, imaging, instrumentation, and electronics products. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is DHR or TDY the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. DHR is the larger incumbent; TDY is the smaller challenger and looks pricier on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, DHR or TDY?
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On forward P/E (as of July 2026), DHR trades at 21.70x and TDY at 23.83x, so DHR is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both DHR and TDY?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of DHR vs TDY?
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DHR: Valuation is the most cited risk, since DHR often trades at a premium multiple (trailing P/E has ranged roughly from the mid-30s to mid-40s), leaving little room for disappointment. Core revenue growth has been slow, around 2% for 2025 and roughly flat in early 2026, so the thesis leans heavily on the bioprocessing recovery arriving on schedule. Biopharma and academic funding cycles, hospital and diagnostics testing volumes, and currency swings all move results. China demand and policy, along with broader biotech funding conditions, are additional swing factors. As a diversified conglomerate, weakness in any one segment can offset strength elsewhere. TDY: Teledyne's industrial and instrumentation segments are exposed to manufacturing and capital-spending cycles, so a slowdown in global industrial activity can pressure orders. Integration of acquisitions, including the large FLIR deal, carries execution and goodwill risk if synergies or growth disappoint. Defense revenue depends on government budgets and procurement timing, which can be lumpy and subject to political shifts. The company competes in specialized markets against larger rivals with greater scale in some segments. Currency exposure from international sales, supply-chain constraints for specialized components, and the premium valuation typical of quality industrial compounders all add risk. Slower acquisition pace or paying too much for deals could dampen the historical compounding.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell DHR or TDY; figures are approximate and dated (as of July 2026). Verify current data before investing.