Coleford Investment Management Ltd. Buys New Shares in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Coleford Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 92,493 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $20,984,000. Becton, Dickinson and Company comprises 5.5% of Coleford Investment Management Ltd.'s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $284,429,000 after buying an additional 16,918 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.9% during the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 53,102 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $12,803,000 after buying an additional 996 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 940 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 36.3% in the third quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,943 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $3,362,000 after acquiring an additional 3,713 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 93.8% in the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 151,082 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $36,426,000 after purchasing an additional 73,108 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on BDX shares. 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. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their target price on 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 analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $275.71.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total transaction of $94,497.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,887 shares in the company, valued at $964,107.36. This represents a 8.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total transaction of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 36,033 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,215,163.67. The trade was a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,578 shares of company stock valued at $795,986. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $3.10 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $199.71. The stock had a trading volume of 502,313 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,710,550. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.24, a PEG 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 stock's fifty day moving average is $220.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $228.15.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share 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%. As a group, analysts predict 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.08%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

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.