Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Holdings Lowered by Delta Asset Management LLC TN

Delta Asset Management LLC TN cut its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 83,352 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,316 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up approximately 1.7% of Delta Asset Management LLC TN’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Delta Asset Management LLC TN’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $18,910,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wesbanco Bank Inc. boosted its stake 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 in the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. S.A. Mason LLC now owns 1,414 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $321,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,060 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $694,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Americana Partners LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Americana Partners LLC now owns 1,520 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $345,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management raised its position in 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 worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, Director Jeffrey William Henderson acquired 1,500 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $233.62 per share, with a total value of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,015 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. This trade represents a 23.02 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,840. The trade was a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the subject of several research reports. 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. StockNews.com cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $227.95 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $232.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $231.85. The company has a market cap of $65.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

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

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

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 issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.82%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

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.