Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Position Raised by Cooke & Bieler LP

Cooke & Bieler LP grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 17.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,005,635 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 146,357 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up about 2.2% of Cooke & Bieler LP's holdings, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Cooke & Bieler LP owned about 0.35% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $228,148,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth $33,000. Kennebec Savings Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth $46,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.0 %

NYSE:BDX traded down $2.31 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $225.15. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,952,642 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,510,930. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $232.96 and a 200-day moving average of $232.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $251.99.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value 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 represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 5,423 shares of company stock worth $1,239,780 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BDX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays upped their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, 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 report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently 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.