Kesler Norman & Wride LLC Lowers Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Kesler Norman & Wride LLC lowered its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 52.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,683 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,892 shares during the period. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $382,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,743,052 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $6,067,196,000 after purchasing an additional 184,288 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.8% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,953,116 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $3,364,096,000 after buying an additional 106,616 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,351,537 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,437,161,000 after buying an additional 66,024 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.1% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,175,899 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,401,126,000 after buying an additional 810,345 shares during the period. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.4% in the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,426,022 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,004,132,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057,879 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total transaction of $436,325.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total transaction of $141,196.47. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,311,211.44. This represents a 9.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on BDX shares. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of 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. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $275.71.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded down $3.62 during trading on Monday, hitting $203.72. The stock had a trading volume of 1,704,260 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,654,269. The company has a market capitalization of $58.50 billion, a PE ratio of 33.80, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm's fifty day moving average is $230.06 and its 200 day moving average is $231.33. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $194.46 and a 12 month high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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%. Analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.04%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

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.