Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) is Sector Gamma AS’s 5th Largest Position

Sector Gamma AS trimmed its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 76,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,280 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up 5.9% of Sector Gamma AS’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Sector Gamma AS’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $17,242,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management lifted its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $32,000 after acquiring 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 valued at about $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jeffrey William Henderson bought 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $233.62 per share, for a total transaction of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,015 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. The trade was a 23.02 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BDX has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.1 %

BDX stock opened at $231.94 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $66.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $232.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $232.12. 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 has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Equities analysts forecast 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 permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

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

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.