Longview Partners Guernsey LTD Sells 83,258 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Longview Partners Guernsey LTD lowered its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,979,950 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 83,258 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up approximately 3.4% of Longview Partners Guernsey LTD's holdings, making the stock its 19th largest position. Longview Partners Guernsey LTD owned approximately 0.68% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $449,191,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $735,523,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,057,879 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.1% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $181,279,000. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.0% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,844,566 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $647,082,000 after purchasing an additional 673,568 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, Director Jeffrey William Henderson bought 1,500 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $233.62 per share, for a total transaction of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 8,015 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. This represents a 23.02 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $105,570.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 4,078 shares of company stock worth $915,986. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE BDX traded down $1.91 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $198.50. The stock had a trading volume of 4,062,543 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,712,005. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $220.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $228.50. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $193.03 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The company has a market capitalization of $56.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. Analysts anticipate 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 approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders 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 yield of 2.10%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the topic of several recent 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. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $275.71.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.