Michael David Garrison Sells 2,838 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company 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 owns 6,141 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,371,469.53. This trade represents a 31.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX stock traded up $3.85 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $227.68. The stock had a trading volume of 3,083,279 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,490,132. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $218.75 and a twelve month high of $249.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.83 billion, a PE ratio of 38.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $230.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $233.27.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.42 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company's previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 70.03%.

Institutional Trading of Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BDX. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 10,963 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $2,562,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Everhart Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $225,000. Wesleyan Assurance Society boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Wesleyan Assurance Society now owns 45,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $10,685,000 after buying an additional 550 shares during the period. Kanawha Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 86,677 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $20,257,000 after acquiring an additional 2,153 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fullcircle Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter worth $371,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on BDX. StockNews.com cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $283.50.

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.