Boston Family Office LLC Has $1.28 Million Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Boston Family Office LLC trimmed its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 15.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,647 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,017 shares during the quarter. Boston Family Office LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,281,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $284,429,000 after acquiring an additional 16,918 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 12.5% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 12,566 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,030,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,207,000. Ascent Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth approximately $247,000. Finally, Hilltop Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.6% in the third quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 5,357 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,292,000 after buying an additional 470 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BDX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped 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. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,598,960. This trade represents a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total value of $141,196.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,311,211.44. This represents a 9.72 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $226.04 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market cap of $64.90 billion, a PE ratio of 37.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $231.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $231.62.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.