Barclays Has Lowered Expectations for Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Price

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) had its price objective decreased by Barclays from $279.00 to $261.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the medical instruments supplier's stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $275.71.

Remove Ads

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.2 %

BDX stock traded up $2.42 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $201.54. 1,850,652 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,685,646. The company has a market cap of $57.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.48, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The firm's 50-day moving average is $223.97 and its 200-day moving average is $229.86. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $193.03 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total value of $141,196.47. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,544 shares in the company, valued at $1,311,211.44. The trade was a 9.72 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,675 shares of company stock worth $1,057,182. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $735,523,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 36.1% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 12,126,707 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,751,187,000 after buying an additional 3,219,317 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 392.4% during the 4th quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 3,416,665 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $775,139,000 after buying an additional 2,722,829 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.4% during the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,426,022 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,004,132,000 after buying an additional 1,057,879 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.1% in the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,175,899 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,401,126,000 after buying an additional 810,345 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.