Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Acquired by Wedbush Securities Inc.

Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 11.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,160 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 640 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,398,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its holdings 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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position 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 buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at $1,666,808.01. The trade was a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 36,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,215,163.67. The trade was a 1.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865 in the last ninety days. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler raised 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 report on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective 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. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $208.03 on Monday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $194.46 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $230.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $231.33.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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 buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.00%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

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.