Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Bought by Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC

Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 22.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 5,238 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,385,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mission Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $262,000. Auxano Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 1,413 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $321,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 86.0% during the fourth quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 11,425 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,601,000 after purchasing an additional 5,284 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $310,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 43.3% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 44,288 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $10,048,000 after buying an additional 13,387 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.0 %

NYSE BDX opened at $224.17 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $64.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.24, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.40. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $251.99. 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 company’s 50 day simple moving average is $233.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $232.83.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. Equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.86%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to buy 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.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at $3,807,235. The trade was a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total transaction of $990,787.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,380,488.45. This represents a 15.55 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.