Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Commerce Bank

Commerce Bank reduced its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 15.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 62,696 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 11,544 shares during the quarter. Commerce Bank's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $14,224,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $272.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related 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 value of $94,497.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $964,107.36. This represents a 8.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,578 shares of company stock valued at $795,986. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX traded up $1.44 on Thursday, hitting $203.76. 518,031 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,160,890. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $193.03 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99. The stock has a market cap of $58.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $219.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $227.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 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, 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%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.04%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is 69.10%.

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

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.