Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Sets New 1-Year Low on Insider Selling

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $193.03 and last traded at $209.57, with a volume of 3130426 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $200.83.

Specifically, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total transaction of $94,497.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,887 shares in the company, valued at $964,107.36. The trade was a 8.93 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $223.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $229.56.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.05%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Wesbanco Bank Inc. raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 2,558 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $580,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. S.A. Mason LLC now owns 1,414 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $321,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,060 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $694,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Americana Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Americana Partners LLC now owns 1,520 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $345,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 54 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.