Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Trading Up 0.1% - Here's Why

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) shares were up 0.1% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $228.31 and last traded at $227.73. Approximately 239,687 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 2,055,712 shares. The stock had previously closed at $227.56.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on BDX shares. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.2 %

The firm has a market cap of $65.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.80, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $232.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $233.29. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. As a group, research 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 company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 36,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,215,163.67. This trade represents a 1.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,544 shares of company stock worth $2,370,309. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Tompkins Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company 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.