Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC Purchases 13,520 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 3.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 423,738 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,520 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up approximately 1.9% of Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $96,133,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management raised its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in 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 worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total transaction of $141,196.47. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,544 shares in the company, valued at $1,311,211.44. This trade represents a 9.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865 over the last ninety days. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of BDX stock opened at $231.94 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $251.99. The stock has a market cap of $66.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.53, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $232.64 and its 200-day moving average is $232.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 69.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays lifted their target price on 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 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 report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $278.29.

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.