Fox Run Management L.L.C. Takes $1.35 Million Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 5,948 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $1,349,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $24,838,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,060 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $694,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 12.9% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 267,861 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $60,766,000 after purchasing an additional 30,547 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,348,120 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $532,718,000 after purchasing an additional 201,989 shares during the period. Finally, Plancorp LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Plancorp LLC now owns 1,440 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded down $0.13 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $227.95. 1,369,630 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,535,698. 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 fifty-two week low of $218.75 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $232.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $231.85. The firm has a market cap of $65.45 billion, a PE ratio of 37.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $278.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

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.