Michael David Garrison Sells 629 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) EVP Michael David Garrison sold 629 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.03, for a total value of $123,302.87. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 13,105 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,568,973.15. The trade was a 4.58% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of BDX stock opened at $194.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.11. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $162.29 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99. The firm has a market cap of $55.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.25. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $189.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $185.16.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.42% and a net margin of 7.68%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th will be paid a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 8th. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 72.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on BDX. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $224.00 to $210.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $202.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $197.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $205.64.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $401,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.8% in the first quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 29,485 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $6,754,000 after buying an additional 1,343 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.2% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,811,239 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $643,942,000 after buying an additional 86,885 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.8% during the first quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 14,651 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,356,000 after acquiring an additional 927 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HC Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $229,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.