Korea Investment CORP Sells 3,822 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Korea Investment CORP cut its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 1.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 210,494 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 3,822 shares during the quarter. Korea Investment CORP owned approximately 0.07% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $47,755,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Jeffrey William Henderson purchased 1,500 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $233.62 per share, with a total value of $350,430.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 8,015 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. This trade represents a 23.02 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $228.76 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.00, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The business has a 50-day moving average of $232.03 and a 200-day moving average of $231.82. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $218.75 and a 1 year high of $251.99.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on BDX. Barclays lifted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler upped 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $278.29.

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.