Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Price Target Raised to $207.00 at Bank of America

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) had its target price raised by equities researchers at Bank of America from $190.00 to $207.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Bank of America‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 6.30% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $224.00 to $210.00 in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $202.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Wall Street Zen cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $207.18.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:BDX opened at $194.73 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $55.48 billion, a PE ratio of 33.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.23. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $162.29 and a 52-week high of $251.99. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $191.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $187.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter. The business 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, research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total transaction of $38,317.86. Following the transaction, the director owned 35,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,324,389.28. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 629 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.03, for a total value of $123,302.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,052 shares of company stock worth $201,235. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 877 shares in the last quarter. RiverGlades Family Offices LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter worth $344,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter valued at $983,000. Covea Finance raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.7% during the third quarter. Covea Finance now owns 78,847 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $14,758,000 after purchasing an additional 7,610 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.0% in the third quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 905,757 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $169,531,000 after purchasing an additional 17,844 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells a broad range of medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. BD’s products are used by healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, life science researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to enable safe, effective delivery of care, specimen collection and diagnostic testing. The company’s operations span multiple business areas focused on medical devices, life sciences research tools and interventional technologies.

BD’s product portfolio includes single-use medical devices such as syringes, needles, needlesafety and injection systems, infusion therapy and medication management solutions, as well as vascular access, urology and oncology devices acquired through its interventional business.