Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) EVP Sells $436,325.40 in Stock

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE BDX traded up $2.56 on Friday, reaching $225.35. 158,270 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,514,274. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $232.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $232.44. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The company has a market cap of $64.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Remove Ads

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Institutional Trading of Becton, Dickinson and Company

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BDX. PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,702,000. Northstar Financial Companies Inc. bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $315,000. Centaurus Financial Inc. lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 1,444 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $328,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Probity Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 22.3% in the 4th quarter. Probity Advisors Inc. now owns 1,555 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $353,000 after purchasing an additional 284 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays raised 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. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $278.29.

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.