Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Great Lakes Advisors LLC

Great Lakes Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 2.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 225,071 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 6,250 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC owned about 0.08% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $51,062,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of BDX. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 79.0% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,986,543 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $720,089,000 after purchasing an additional 1,317,723 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $181,279,000. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.0% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,844,566 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $647,082,000 after acquiring an additional 673,568 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.4% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,365,554 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,293,635,000 after buying an additional 460,440 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at $108,243,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of 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. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $278.29.

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Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 36,033 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,215,163.67. This trade represents a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 5,423 shares of company stock valued at $1,239,780 over the last 90 days. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.0 %

BDX stock opened at $225.15 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $232.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $232.57. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99. The company has a market cap of $64.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.40, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

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.

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