Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors bought 4,318 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 57% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,758 call options.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE:BDX traded up $2.42 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $201.54. 1,850,652 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,685,646. The business's 50-day moving average price is $223.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $229.86. 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 $57.87 billion, a PE ratio of 33.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $193.03 and a 12-month high of $251.99.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is 69.10%.

Remove Ads

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan 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. Shares buyback plans are usually an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays cut their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective 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. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $275.71.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $105,570.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,598,960. The trade was a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total value of $94,497.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at $964,107.36. This represents a 8.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 4,675 shares of company stock valued at $1,057,182 over the last 90 days. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $284,429,000 after buying an additional 16,918 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.2% in the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 45,947 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $11,077,000 after acquiring an additional 1,843 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% during the 3rd quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 4,730 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,140,000 after acquiring an additional 2,031 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 26.3% in the 3rd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 7,690 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,854,000 after purchasing an additional 1,599 shares during the period. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 51.8% during the third quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 62,762 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $15,132,000 after purchasing an additional 21,427 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.