KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Invests $24.84 Million in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 109,480 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $24,838,000.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $0.76 on Thursday, hitting $228.76. 1,602,261 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,535,158. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $232.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $231.85. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $65.68 billion, a PE ratio of 38.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $251.99.

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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, beating 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%. On average, research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program 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. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,960. The trade was a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total value of $141,196.47. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,311,211.44. The trade was a 9.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on BDX shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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.