Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. Buys 273 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 1.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 24,112 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 273 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $5,470,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.2% during the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 2,735 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $659,000 after purchasing an additional 584 shares in the last quarter. Brookstone Capital Management increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.9% in the third quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 14,620 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,525,000 after buying an additional 1,441 shares in the last quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $220,000. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,677 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $404,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 8,965 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,161,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total value of $139,741.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,217 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,113,949.51. This represents a 4.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,844 shares of company stock valued at $2,210,716. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.3 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $230.22 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $251.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market cap of $66.77 billion, a PE ratio of 38.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a 50-day moving average of $232.07 and a 200 day moving average of $234.04.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on BDX shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.00.

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.