RBA Wealth Management LLC Grows Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

RBA Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 2.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,331 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 604 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company comprises 1.8% of RBA Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. RBA Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $4,839,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% during the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $247.57 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $71.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.68, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.40. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $230.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $233.83. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.42 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

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 given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 70.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.00.

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.