APG Asset Management N.V. Raises Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

APG Asset Management N.V. lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 604.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 176,232 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 151,208 shares during the period. APG Asset Management N.V. owned approximately 0.06% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $38,611,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% during the 3rd 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. Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 26.3% during the third quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 7,690 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,854,000 after acquiring an additional 1,599 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 51.8% in the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 62,762 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $15,132,000 after purchasing an additional 21,427 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 646.8% during the 3rd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 590 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $134,000 after purchasing an additional 511 shares during the period. Finally, Continuum Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 561.5% during the third quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 1,270 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $289,000 after buying an additional 1,078 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of BDX stock traded up $2.86 during trading on Monday, hitting $204.64. The company had a trading volume of 371,959 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,683,146. The stock's 50-day moving average is $223.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $229.81. 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 capitalization of $58.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $193.03 and a 52 week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. As a group, analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase 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 buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on BDX shares. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $275.71.

Insider Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Jeffrey William Henderson acquired 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $233.62 per share, with a total value of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 8,015 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. The trade was a 23.02 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,675 shares of company stock valued at $1,057,182. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.