Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 5.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 86,759 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 4,838 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $19,683,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 174.4% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 214 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.
Insider Activity
In related news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total transaction of $436,325.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,666,808.01. The trade was a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 in the last quarter. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.1 %
Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $0.15 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $231.94. 1,636,172 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,525,683. 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 has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $232.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $232.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $66.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.53, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.
Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share 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%. Analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.
Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.79%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.10%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
BDX has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price 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. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $278.29.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Becton, Dickinson and Company
About Becton, Dickinson and Company
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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.
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