Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. Raises Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 208.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,712 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 23,457 shares during the period. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $7,875,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management grew its stake in 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. purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings 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 worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on BDX shares. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $275.71.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.2 %

BDX opened at $201.54 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $223.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $229.81. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $193.03 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.48, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. On average, research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total transaction of $141,196.47. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,311,211.44. The trade was a 9.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,377,840. The trade was a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,675 shares of company stock worth $1,057,182. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.