Hickory Asset Management Inc. Invests $257,000 in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Hickory Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,134 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $257,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in BDX. CX Institutional raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 128.6% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,175 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $283,000 after purchasing an additional 661 shares in the last quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,520 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $367,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Probity Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.9% during the 3rd quarter. Probity Advisors Inc. now owns 1,271 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $306,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. Good Life Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. Good Life Advisors LLC now owns 1,145 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $276,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cardinal Capital Management increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.0% in the third quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 27,125 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $6,540,000 after acquiring an additional 535 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.1 %

BDX traded up $2.43 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $227.56. 1,072,173 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,113,271. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.34 billion, a PE ratio of 37.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.40. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $232.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $233.38. 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 earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) 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, equities research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.83%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,807,235. This represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total value of $990,787.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,345 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. This trade represents a 15.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 10,544 shares of company stock worth $2,370,309. Company 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.