Home Compare DOV vs NDSN
Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Specialty Industrial Machinery

Dover vs Nordson: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Dover holds the cleaner structural position, with growth as the main driver and valuation adding further support. Nordson still has the edge on stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

This is not just a one-metric split: both growth and valuation materially support the lead. The overall score gap is 10 points in favour of Dover Corporation.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Industrial Machinery

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. DOV and NDSN share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Dover and Nordson each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
DOV
Dover Corporation
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
NDSN
Nordson Corporation
46
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: DOV vs NDSN Profitability 49 43 Stability 38 50 Valuation 68 55 Growth 65 35 DOV NDSN
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +30
#2 Valuation +13
#3 Stability +12
#4 Profitability +6
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for DOV and NDSN Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer DOVNDSN Relative valuation Structural strength

Dover Corporation looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where DOV and NDSN each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY DOV Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 7 pct gap NDSN Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 92nd 99th
DOV (92nd percentile) and NDSN (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
Dover Corporation ranks near the top of the group on growth; Nordson Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Valuation
On valuation, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but Dover Corporation still sits higher.
Growth — Dominant Gap
DOV
65
NDSN
35
Gap+30in favour of DOV

The main growth separation is wide, driven by a meaningfully stronger expansion profile.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Nordson Corporation still carries lower volatility exposure — that difference is real enough to prevent the comparison from becoming one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Growth is the clearest driver of the lead, with valuation adding further support — though stability still provides a real counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the DOV vs NDSN comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar growth-driven comparisons

Explore how DOV and NDSN each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.