M. Kulyk & Associates LLC Purchases 8,129 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

M. Kulyk & Associates LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 38.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 29,442 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 8,129 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for about 1.4% of M. Kulyk & Associates LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. M. Kulyk & Associates LLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,680,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% during the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on BDX. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted 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. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $278.29.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of BDX stock traded down $2.31 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $225.15. The company had a trading volume of 1,952,642 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,509,845. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $251.99. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $232.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $232.57. 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 company has a market capitalization of $64.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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%. Equities research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,141 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,840. The trade was a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 5,423 shares of company stock valued at $1,239,780. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.