Sterling Capital Management LLC Purchases 241,739 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 6,236.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 245,615 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 241,739 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC owned 0.08% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $55,723,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total transaction of $141,196.47. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,311,211.44. The trade was a 9.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. The trade was a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,675 shares of company stock worth $1,057,182. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.8 %

BDX stock traded down $3.69 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $202.02. 2,567,831 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,691,214. The stock has a market cap of $58.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $193.03 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The firm's 50 day moving average is $223.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $229.56.

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 the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $275.71.

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.