Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) EVP Michael David Garrison Sells 2,838 Shares

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total value of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,371,469.53. This trade represents a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of BDX opened at $227.68 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $229.88 and its 200 day moving average is $233.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $249.89. The company has a market capitalization of $65.83 billion, a PE ratio of 38.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.42 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. This is a boost from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 70.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% during the third quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 195,858 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,221,000 after purchasing an additional 1,022 shares in the last quarter. Copley Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at about $457,000. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at about $522,000. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.1% during the third quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 101,600 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $24,497,000 after acquiring an additional 2,057 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Synovus Financial Corp raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.8% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 9,017 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,174,000 after purchasing an additional 808 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional.