Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Holdings Lifted by Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 392.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,416,665 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 2,722,829 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up approximately 2.6% of Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC owned 1.18% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $775,139,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew 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 acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Barclays reduced their price objective 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, April 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $272.86.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE BDX traded up $0.02 during trading on Monday, reaching $205.10. The company had a trading volume of 1,400,220 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,735,825. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $193.03 and a 12 month high of $251.99. 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 stock has a market cap of $58.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.07, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company's fifty day moving average price is $218.51 and its 200-day moving average price is $227.20.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. As a group, research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.03%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

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

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,666,808.01. This represents a 20.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jeffrey William Henderson purchased 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $233.62 per share, with a total value of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,015 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,872,464.30. The trade was a 23.02 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,578 shares of company stock valued at $795,986. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.