Danaher (DHR): analysis in plain words
Is Danaher cheap or expensive? How it makes money, whether it grows and its risks, explained in plain words and with its official accounts.
Danaher (DHR) is listed on the NYSE and we classify it in healthcare and pharma. Below are its key dated figures, how it makes money, how it compares with its sector, what works for and against Danaher according to those figures, and the questions people ask most about the stock. No buy or sell tips.
Danaher (DHR) key figures as of November 4, 2026
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $234.93 | Last price on November 4, 2026 |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 38.9x | Price over earnings per share |
| Revenue growth | +8.3% | Latest quarter vs the same quarter a year earlier |
| Net margin (TTM) | 16.9% | Profit for every 100 of sales |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 2.7x | Years of operating profit to repay debt |
| Dividend yield | 0.70% | Annual dividend over price |
| Market cap | $165.2 billion | What the stock market values it at |
The Danaher figures come from Yahoo Finance, the same source the Fintols analysis uses, retrieved on November 4, 2026. Any DHR figure that is not available shows as N/A: we do not estimate it.
How Danaher makes money
Danaher sells instruments, reagents and consumables to labs, hospitals and drugmakers. Diagnostics, its largest segment, includes Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, Cepheid, Radiometer and Leica Biosystems. Biotechnology, built around Cytiva, supplies tools for making biologic drugs, and Life Sciences includes SCIEX, Leica Microsystems and IDT.
Over the last 12 months, Danaher brought in revenue of $25.6 billion. For every 100 it sells, Danaher keeps 59.4 after the direct cost of what it sells (gross margin) and 21.1 after all operating costs (operating margin). With 58,000 full-time employees, that is about $442,000 of revenue per employee.
Danaher against its sector
To know whether a Danaher figure is high or low you have to put it next to similar companies. This table compares Danaher with the median of the 30 healthcare and pharma companies Fintols covers, with data as of November 4, 2026.
| Figure | Danaher | healthcare and pharma median |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 38.9x | 31.3x (30) |
| Revenue growth | +8.3% | +8.3% (33) |
| Net margin | 16.9% | 14.9% (33) |
| Dividend yield | 0.70% | 1.52% (33) |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 2.7x | 1.6x (31) |
In short, against the typical healthcare and pharma company, Danaher trades on a higher P/E, pays a lower dividend yield and carries more debt. By size, Danaher ranks number 13 of 28 healthcare and pharma companies quoted in USD on Fintols.
The bull case for Danaher
What works in favour of Danaher, according to its figures as of November 4, 2026:
- Analysts expect Danaher earnings to rise: its P/E on the next 12 months of estimated earnings is 25.2x, below the current 38.9x.
- Danaher grew sales +8.3% in its latest quarter against the same quarter a year earlier, while the median healthcare and pharma company Fintols tracks grew +8.3%.
The main risk for Danaher
The Danaher figures as of November 4, 2026 show no clear red flag (no heavy debt, no losses, no falling sales). Its main risk is the one built into its business: a key drug losing patent protection or a clinical trial failing, plus government pressure on prices.
Frequently asked questions about Danaher
Is it a good time to buy Danaher stock?
Fintols does not tell you whether to buy or sell Danaher, and nobody knows what the price will do tomorrow. What we can show you is where it stands today. As of November 4, 2026, Danaher stock trades at $234.93, 3% below its 52-week high ($242.80) and 46% above its low ($160.93). Its P/E is 38.9x against a healthcare and pharma median of 31.3x, and 25.2x on the earnings analysts expect over the next 12 months. With Danaher, as with any stock, timing matters less than understanding the business, investing for the long run and not betting everything on a single company.
Does Danaher pay a dividend?
Yes. As of November 4, 2026, Danaher pays $1.60 per share a year, which at today's price is a yield of 0.70%. It uses 25% of its profit to pay it, which leaves room to keep paying it if profit dips. Its average dividend yield over the last five years is 0.44%. The healthcare and pharma median on Fintols is 1.52%.
Is Danaher stock expensive?
It depends on what you compare it with. On P/E, Danaher trades at 38.9x its last 12 months of earnings: more expensive than the healthcare and pharma median (31.3x). Including its debt, Danaher is valued at 22.3x its EBITDA (EV/EBITDA). A high P/E alone does not make Danaher expensive: it can be justified if earnings grow fast, and a low one can reflect a business in trouble.
Who are Danaher's competitors?
On Fintols we compare Danaher with Bristol Myers Squibb, CVS Health and Gilead, which are also in healthcare and pharma. As of November 4, 2026, Bristol Myers Squibb is worth $131.2 billion and trades on a P/E of 14.2; CVS Health is worth $102.3 billion and trades on a P/E of 21.0; Gilead is worth $216.4 billion. Each has a side-by-side comparison with Danaher below.
Danaher competitors
- Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY) analysis · Danaher vs Bristol Myers Squibb comparison
- CVS Health (CVS) analysis · Danaher vs CVS Health comparison
- Gilead (GILD) analysis · Danaher vs Gilead comparison
To understand Danaher better
- DCF and WACC Explained: A Practical Valuation Guide
- P/E Ratio and EPS Explained: How to Read Them Without Traps
More companies like Danaher: healthcare and pharma stocks, S&P 500 companies and S&P 100 companies. Open the full DHR analysis with its valuation and scenarios. Educational content about Danaher, not investment advice.