Broyhill Asset Management Purchases New Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Broyhill Asset Management purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 1,348 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $306,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the 4th 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 position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.2 %

NYSE BDX opened at $201.54 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $223.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $229.81. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $193.03 and a one year high of $251.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13. The company has a market capitalization of $57.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its 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 net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. As a group, equities analysts predict 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.06%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has approved 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 purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on BDX shares. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $275.71.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $105,570.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,960. This trade represents a 6.19 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 36,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,215,163.67. This represents a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 4,675 shares of company stock worth $1,057,182. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.