AMG National Trust Bank Sells 1,170 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

AMG National Trust Bank reduced its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 21.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,256 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,170 shares during the quarter. AMG National Trust Bank's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $964,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $1,255,000. West Family Investments Inc. raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.9% in the fourth quarter. West Family Investments Inc. now owns 1,175 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $267,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 117.8% in the fourth quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,214 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $729,000 after buying an additional 1,738 shares during the period. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $299,000. Finally, EagleClaw Capital Managment LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. EagleClaw Capital Managment LLC now owns 27,785 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $6,304,000 after acquiring an additional 1,990 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised 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 report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of BDX traded down $2.31 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $225.15. The company had a trading volume of 1,952,642 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,510,930. The company has a market capitalization of $64.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $232.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $232.57. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $251.99.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at $1,371,469.53. This trade represents a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 5,423 shares of company stock worth $1,239,780. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.