Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Trading 0.6% Higher - Time to Buy?

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) traded up 0.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $229.18 and last traded at $229.13. 187,737 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 1,510,315 shares. The stock had previously closed at $227.83.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Barclays boosted 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 research report on Friday, February 14th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

The business's 50-day moving average price is $232.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $232.12. The company has a market capitalization of $66.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.31, a price-to-earnings-growth 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.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. Analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

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 given a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.80%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 owns 16,201 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,807,235. This represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total value of $141,196.47. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,311,211.44. This trade represents a 9.72 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 over the last three months. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. REAP Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% during the fourth quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.