Fiduciary Group LLC Sells 7,165 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Fiduciary Group LLC lessened its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 28.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,699 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 7,165 shares during the period. Fiduciary Group LLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $4,015,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the fourth 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. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX traded down $1.13 on Monday, hitting $229.10. The company had a trading volume of 1,214,432 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,535,776. The stock has a market cap of $65.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.06, a price-to-earnings-growth 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. The company's fifty day moving average price is $232.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $231.93. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $251.99.

Remove Ads

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%. Equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.10%.

Insider Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm's 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $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 is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total transaction of $159,593.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 36,033 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,215,163.67. This represents a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays raised 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, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $278.29.

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.