Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. decreased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 29.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,859 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 4,056 shares during the quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,237,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth about $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on BDX. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $278.29.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX traded down $2.31 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $225.15. 1,952,642 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,508,635. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $232.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $232.65. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $251.99. The company has a market capitalization of $64.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.40, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at $3,807,235. This represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 5,423 shares of company stock valued at $1,239,780. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.