RFG Bristol Wealth Advisors LLC Takes $366,000 Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

RFG Bristol Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,613 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $366,000.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on BDX shares. Barclays reduced their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler upped 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $275.71.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of BDX traded down $3.62 on Monday, hitting $203.72. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,704,260 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,654,207. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $230.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $231.33. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $194.46 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $58.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.04%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.