RD Lewis Holdings Inc. Invests $416,000 in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

RD Lewis Holdings Inc. bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 1,811 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $416,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,704 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,067,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Cibc World Markets Corp increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 16.4% in the 4th quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp now owns 45,611 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $10,348,000 after acquiring an additional 6,414 shares during the period. SlateStone Wealth LLC raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC now owns 32,337 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $7,336,000 after acquiring an additional 596 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 29,357 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $6,660,000 after acquiring an additional 698 shares during the period. Finally, Pollock Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,233,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded down $1.22 on Friday, reaching $230.63. 4,372,181 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,539,966. The company has a 50-day moving average of $232.64 and a 200-day moving average of $232.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $66.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $251.99.

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 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 analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.80%. 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 of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan 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 plans are usually a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on BDX. Barclays upped their price target on 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. 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. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted 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 report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $278.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at $3,807,235. The trade was a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,666,808.01. The trade was a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

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.