Swedbank AB Increases Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Swedbank AB lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 1.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 152,293 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 1,455 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB owned about 0.05% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $34,551,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% during the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 22.5% in the 3rd quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 245 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Tompkins Financial Corp boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Birch Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.4% during the third quarter. Birch Capital Management LLC now owns 11,773 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $2,838,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Radnor Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Radnor Capital Management LLC now owns 2,937 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $708,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.3 %

BDX stock traded down $0.86 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $247.63. The company had a trading volume of 2,158,692 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,969,655. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $230.06 and a 200 day moving average of $233.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.74. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $250.91. The company has a market capitalization of $71.82 billion, a PE ratio of 41.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.39.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.42 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock 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 purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.68%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is presently 70.03%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total transaction of $139,741.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,217 shares in the company, valued at $3,113,949.51. This represents a 4.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 9,844 shares of company stock valued at $2,210,716 over the last ninety days. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on BDX shares. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. StockNews.com downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $283.00.

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.