Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel Acquires New Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 1,332 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $302,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Tompkins Financial Corp raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the 3rd quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Radnor Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.7% in the third quarter. Radnor Capital Management LLC now owns 2,937 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $708,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 2,558 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $580,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Umpqua Bank lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Umpqua Bank now owns 2,738 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $660,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Americana Partners LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Americana Partners LLC now owns 1,468 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $354,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $2.43 on Wednesday, hitting $227.56. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,072,173 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,113,271. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $251.99. The firm has a market cap of $65.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.40. 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 company has a fifty day moving average price of $232.72 and a 200-day moving average price of $233.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on BDX. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Piper Sandler upped their target price 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. Finally, Barclays raised their price target 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $278.29.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total transaction of $139,741.14. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,217 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,113,949.51. This represents a 4.29 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.