DEO vs EW Comparison

Formed in 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan and Guinness, Diageo is the largest distiller globally by sales. Diageo acquired some of the Seagram assets in 2001, which gave it brands such as Captain Morgan rum and Crown Royal Canadian whisky. Since then, mergers and acquisitions have mostly been bolt-on in nature, plugging gaps in the company's product and geographic portfolio. The firm has also shed noncore brands over the years, including the majority of its wine assets in 2015.

Spun off from Baxter International in 2000, Edwards Lifesciences designs, manufactures, and markets a range of medical devices and equipment for advanced stages of structural heart disease. It has established itself as a leader across key products, including surgical tissue heart valves, transcatheter aortic valves, and transcatheter mitral and tricuspid valve technologies. The firm derives about 60% of its total sales from outside the US.