Dearborn Partners LLC Sells 1,880 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Dearborn Partners LLC lowered its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 1.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 137,079 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,880 shares during the quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $31,099,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 79.0% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,986,543 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $720,089,000 after buying an additional 1,317,723 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $181,279,000. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.0% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,844,566 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $647,082,000 after buying an additional 673,568 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,365,554 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,293,635,000 after buying an additional 460,440 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $108,243,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE BDX traded down $2.31 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $225.15. The company had a trading volume of 1,952,642 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,510,930. The company has a market capitalization of $64.65 billion, a PE ratio of 37.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $232.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $232.57. 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 has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $251.99.

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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. On average, equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.85%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program 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. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total value of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This trade represents a 31.61 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 5,423 shares of company stock worth $1,239,780. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

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.