Zacks Investment Management Sells 30,728 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Zacks Investment Management reduced its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 11.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 247,316 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 30,728 shares during the period. Zacks Investment Management owned about 0.09% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $56,109,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BDX has been the subject of several recent research reports. Piper Sandler boosted their price target 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 report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on 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. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $275.71.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded down $1.91 during trading on Friday, hitting $198.50. 4,062,543 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,710,218. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $193.03 and a 1-year high of $251.99. The company has a market capitalization of $56.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.97, 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. The business's 50 day moving average is $220.84 and its 200-day moving average is $228.58.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.10%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase 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 repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 36,033 shares in the company, valued at $8,215,163.67. The trade was a 1.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 4,078 shares of company stock valued at $915,986. Company insiders own 0.36% 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.