Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Bought by Busey Bank

Busey Bank lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 3.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 66,255 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 2,399 shares during the quarter. Busey Bank's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $15,031,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the 3rd quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded down $0.86 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $247.63. The stock had a trading volume of 2,158,692 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,969,655. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm's 50 day moving average is $230.06 and its 200 day moving average is $233.66. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $250.91.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.42 EPS. The business's revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast 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 has initiated a share buyback plan 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. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total transaction of $990,787.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,345 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. This trade represents a 15.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 9,844 shares of company stock valued at $2,210,716 in the last ninety days. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $283.00.

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.