Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Price Up 0.6% – Still a Buy?

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) traded up 0.6% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $229.18 and last traded at $229.13. 187,737 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 1,510,315 shares. The stock had previously closed at $227.83.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays lifted their target price 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. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their target price 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. 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 an average price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $232.68 and a 200-day moving average of $232.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly 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 return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the company’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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jeffrey William Henderson bought 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought 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 position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. REAP Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% in the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

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.