Larson Financial Group LLC Acquires 199 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 15.8% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,458 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 199 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $331,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Kennebec Savings Bank bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on BDX. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective 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. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $227.09 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $65.21 billion, a PE ratio of 37.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $232.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $232.65. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total value of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,371,469.53. This trade represents a 31.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 5,423 shares of company stock worth $1,239,780. 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.