Home Compare MDT vs ZBH
Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Medical Devices

Medtronic vs Zimmer Biomet Holdings: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Medtronic carrying a narrow edge on growth. Zimmer Biomet still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

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 2026-05-17

On growth, the clearer edge sits with Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., while the overall score remains tighter and points the other way.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Medical Devices

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
MDT
Medtronic plc
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
ZBH
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
52
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

The clearest separation appears in growth.

Dimension spread: MDT vs ZBH Profitability 49 22 Stability 56 38 Valuation 76 72 Growth 38 82 MDT ZBH
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +44
#2 Profitability +27
#3 Stability +18
#4 Valuation +4
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for MDT and ZBH Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer MDTZBH Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup is mixed: neither company clearly combines the stronger profile with the more supportive price setup.

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

Entry today — historical context

Where MDT and ZBH each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY MDT Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 21 pct gap ZBH Lower · near norm 0th 50th 100th 22nd 1st
Today ZBH sits in the lower portion of its own 5-year history (1st percentile), while MDT sits higher in its own history (22nd). Within each stock's own 5-year context, ZBH is at a historically more favourable entry position than MDT. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. ranks near the top of the group on growth; Medtronic plc sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
Medtronic plc sits higher in the group on profitability, adding to the overall structural advantage.
Growth — Dominant Gap
MDT
38
ZBH
82
Gap+44in favour of ZBH

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

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

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

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the MDT vs ZBH comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how MDT and ZBH 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.