Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Down 1.3% – What’s Next?

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) was down 1.3% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $224.01 and last traded at $224.44. Approximately 359,106 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average daily volume of 1,501,917 shares. The stock had previously closed at $227.45.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on BDX. Barclays raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $64.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.40, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $232.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $232.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

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

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total transaction of $159,593.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 36,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,215,163.67. The trade was a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 5,423 shares of company stock worth $1,239,780. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $284,429,000 after buying an additional 16,918 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth $294,000. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.9% in the third quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,747 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $421,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.0% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 33,888 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $8,170,000 after acquiring an additional 2,204 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atria Investments Inc raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 20,049 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $4,834,000 after purchasing an additional 1,477 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.