Barclays Issues Positive Forecast for Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Price

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) had its target price increased by Barclays from $278.00 to $279.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the medical instruments supplier's stock. Barclays's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 23.94% from the company's previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on BDX. Piper Sandler lifted 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. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX stock traded up $0.31 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $225.11. The company had a trading volume of 1,335,214 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,146,855. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $232.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $233.54. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $251.99. The stock has a market cap of $64.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.39, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. Research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total value of $990,787.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,345 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. This represents a 15.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jeffrey William Henderson bought 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $233.62 per share, with a total value of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly 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 ninety days, insiders sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management boosted its position 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 worth $32,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

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.