Prudential PLC Sells 3,385 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Prudential PLC decreased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 36.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,917 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 3,385 shares during the quarter. Prudential PLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,342,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $735,523,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.4% during the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,426,022 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,004,132,000 after purchasing an additional 1,057,879 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 810,345 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $181,279,000. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position 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 buying an additional 673,568 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $275.71.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total value of $94,497.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $964,107.36. The trade was a 8.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 4,675 shares of company stock worth $1,057,182 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX traded down $0.34 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $198.78. The company had a trading volume of 524,426 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,677,814. The business has a 50-day moving average of $224.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $230.09. 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 market cap of $57.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $193.03 and a 1 year high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.09%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend 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 repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.