BLD vs. NDSN

Last updated Jun 13, 2026

BLD (TopBuild Corp.) and NDSN (Nordson Corporation) are both stocks. Both are in the Industrials sector — BLD in Engineering & Construction, NDSN in Specialty Industrial Machinery. Over the past 10 years, BLD returned 27.86%/yr vs 14.17%/yr for NDSN. A 0.51 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

BLD vs. NDSN - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in TopBuild Corp. (BLD) and Nordson Corporation (NDSN). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BLD achieves a -1.46% return, which is significantly lower than NDSN's 20.24% return. Over the past 10 years, BLD has outperformed NDSN with an annualized return of 27.86%, while NDSN has yielded a comparatively lower 14.17% annualized return.

BLD

• 1D: 0.30%
• 1M: 0.55%
• YTD: -1.46%
• 6M: -5.70%
• 1Y: 33.02%
• 3Y*: 19.98%
• 5Y*: 16.32%
• 10Y*: 27.86%

NDSN

• 1D: 0.90%
• 1M: 3.33%
• YTD: 20.24%
• 6M: 23.21%
• 1Y: 34.03%
• 3Y*: 8.35%
• 5Y*: 6.49%
• 10Y*: 14.17%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

BLD vs. NDSN - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BLD TopBuild Corp.	-1.46%	34.00%	-16.81%	139.16%	-43.28%	49.89%	78.58%	129.07%	-40.59%	112.75%
NDSN Nordson Corporation	20.24%	17.03%	-20.15%	12.39%	-5.93%	28.09%	24.45%	37.88%	-17.65%	31.83%

Correlation

The correlation between BLD and NDSN is 0.62, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.62
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.63
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.64
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 1, 2015	0.51

The correlation between BLD and NDSN shifts across timeframes, from 0.51 (all time) to 0.64 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap BLD : $11.56B NDSN : $16.17B
EPS BLD : $17.76 NDSN : $9.36
PE Ratio BLD : 23.15 NDSN : 30.79
PEG Ratio BLD : 1.12 NDSN : 12.07
PS Ratio BLD : 2.07 NDSN : 5.60
PB Ratio BLD : 4.81 NDSN : 5.05
Total Revenue (TTM) BLD : $5.62B NDSN : $2.90B
Gross Profit (TTM) BLD : $1.62B NDSN : $1.60B
EBITDA (TTM) BLD : $933.40M NDSN : $744.50M

Return for Risk

BLD vs. NDSN — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

BLD

BLD Risk / Return Rank: 65
BLD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
BLD Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
BLD Omega Ratio Rank: 63
BLD Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
BLD Martin Ratio Rank: 63

NDSN

NDSN Risk / Return Rank: 82
NDSN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
NDSN Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
NDSN Omega Ratio Rank: 78
NDSN Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
NDSN Martin Ratio Rank: 84

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

BLD vs. NDSN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for TopBuild Corp. (BLD) and Nordson Corporation (NDSN). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	BLD	NDSN	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.76	1.61	-0.85
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.57	2.35	-0.78
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.27	-0.10
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.85	2.42	-1.57
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.11	7.81	-5.70

BLD vs. NDSN - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BLD Sharpe Ratio is 0.76, which is lower than the NDSN Sharpe Ratio of 1.61. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BLD and NDSN, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

BLD vs. NDSN - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BLD drawdown since its inception was -52.26%, smaller than the maximum NDSN drawdown of -73.62%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BLD and NDSN.

Drawdown Indicators

	BLD	NDSN	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-52.26%	-73.62%	+21.36%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-39.12%	-14.15%	-24.97%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-42.41%	-39.15%	-3.26%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-49.39%	-39.15%	-10.24%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-52.26%	-44.24%	-8.02%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-25.38%	-3.41%	-21.97%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.10%	-13.24%	-1.86%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	15.68%	4.37%	+11.31%

Volatility

BLD vs. NDSN - Volatility Comparison

TopBuild Corp. (BLD) has a higher volatility of 9.02% compared to Nordson Corporation (NDSN) at 8.59%. This indicates that BLD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NDSN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BLD	NDSN	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.02%	8.59%	+0.43%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	33.81%	15.87%	+17.94%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	43.80%	21.26%	+22.54%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	41.43%	24.78%	+16.65%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	42.78%	28.47%	+14.31%

Dividends

BLD vs. NDSN - Dividend Comparison

BLD has not paid dividends to shareholders, while NDSN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.12%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BLD TopBuild Corp.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
NDSN Nordson Corporation	1.12%	1.66%	1.02%	1.01%	0.98%	0.71%	0.77%	0.90%	1.09%	0.78%	0.91%	1.43%

Financials

BLD vs. NDSN - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between TopBuild Corp. and Nordson Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

BLD - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, TopBuild Corp. reported a gross profit of 400.25M and revenue of 1.45B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 27.7%.

NDSN - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nordson Corporation reported a gross profit of 404.08M and revenue of 740.85M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 54.5%.

BLD - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, TopBuild Corp. reported an operating income of 175.04M and revenue of 1.45B, resulting in an operating margin of 12.1%.

NDSN - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nordson Corporation reported an operating income of 197.20M and revenue of 740.85M, resulting in an operating margin of 26.6%.

BLD - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, TopBuild Corp. reported a net income of 104.81M and revenue of 1.45B, resulting in a net margin of 7.3%.

NDSN - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nordson Corporation reported a net income of 117.32M and revenue of 740.85M, resulting in a net margin of 15.8%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BLD and NDSN in my portfolio?

BLD and NDSN have a correlation of 0.62, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, BLD or NDSN?

BLD has higher volatility (9.02%) compared to NDSN (8.59%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BLD dropped -52.26% vs NDSN's -73.62%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NDSN currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.61 vs 0.76), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.