Bfsg LLC Sells 1,455 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Bfsg LLC lowered its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 5.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 24,693 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,455 shares during the quarter. Bfsg LLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $5,602,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Good Life Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 20.9% in the third quarter. Good Life Advisors LLC now owns 1,145 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $276,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.8% in the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,274 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $790,000 after acquiring an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.3% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,699 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $631,000 after acquiring an additional 317 shares during the last quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.7% in the third quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 6,051 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,459,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Penn Davis Mcfarland Inc. bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at approximately $2,040,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded down $0.39 on Friday, reaching $227.54. 1,920,647 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,087,390. The company has a market capitalization of $65.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.40. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The firm's 50-day moving average is $232.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $233.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors 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 yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback 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 purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on BDX shares. Piper Sandler upped their target price 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. Barclays upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $278.29.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the business'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 directly owns 36,033 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,215,163.67. The trade was a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total transaction of $990,787.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,345 shares in the company, valued at $5,380,488.45. This trade represents a 15.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309 in the last ninety days. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.