Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Sells 4,438 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lowered its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 14.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,560 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 4,438 shares during the quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.'s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,081,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Burling Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at about $607,000. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 161.4% in the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 254,475 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $57,733,000 after acquiring an additional 157,123 shares during the last quarter. Syon Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.3% during the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 2,872 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $652,000 after acquiring an additional 1,011 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 3,219,317 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MGO One Seven LLC raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 118.7% in the 4th quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 9,228 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,094,000 after purchasing an additional 5,009 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX traded up $1.67 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $206.30. 1,095,349 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,736,782. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $193.03 and a 12-month high of $251.99. The company's 50-day moving average is $218.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $226.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $59.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

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 EPS 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%. Research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan 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 plans are usually an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 9th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.02%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, Director Jeffrey William Henderson bought 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $233.62 per share, for a total transaction of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,015 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. The trade was a 23.02 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at $1,666,808.01. The trade was a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 3,578 shares of company stock valued at $795,986. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the subject of several research reports. Barclays reduced their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $272.86.

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.