Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Price Up 0.2% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) traded up 0.2% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $229.59 and last traded at $228.47. 209,591 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average session volume of 2,035,732 shares. The stock had previously closed at $227.93.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $65.33 billion, a PE ratio of 37.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $232.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $233.27.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 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%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.83%. 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 declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase 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 purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total value of $990,787.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,345 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. This trade represents a 15.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Becton, Dickinson and Company

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of BDX. Tompkins Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the 3rd 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 period. Radnor Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.7% in the third 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 period. Wesbanco Bank Inc. increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 2,558 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $580,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Umpqua Bank raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Umpqua Bank now owns 2,738 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $660,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Americana Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Americana Partners LLC now owns 1,468 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $354,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.