Wells Fargo & Company Cuts Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Price Target to $157.00

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) had its price target trimmed by Wells Fargo & Company from $184.00 to $157.00 in a research note published on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $170.00 price objective (down previously from $205.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $233.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $210.00 to $172.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $197.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $195.46.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $177.93 on Tuesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $127.59 and a fifty-two week high of $185.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $199.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $192.25. The company has a market cap of $50.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.03, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 15.76%. The firm’s revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.43 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 27th that authorizes the company to buyback $10.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire up to 0% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 68.52%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.46, for a total value of $334,010.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 12,095 shares in the company, valued at $2,509,228.70. This represents a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders sold 2,463 shares of company stock valued at $501,530 in the last quarter. 0.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BDX. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9,056.3% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,232,086 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $979,290,000 after acquiring an additional 5,174,944 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.4% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 32,308,749 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $5,565,182,000 after purchasing an additional 4,305,947 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 23,219.2% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 4,155,709 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $769,397,000 after purchasing an additional 4,137,888 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter valued at $653,377,000. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 59.2% during the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 8,786,190 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,513,421,000 after buying an additional 3,268,478 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Becton, Dickinson and Company News

Here are the key news stories impacting Becton, Dickinson and Company this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies upgraded BDX to a Buy, providing direct bullish pressure that can support the stock as investors reframe valuation vs. the new pure‑play MedTech focus. Becton Dickinson (BDX) Gets a Buy from Jefferies
• Positive Sentiment: BD completed its Biosciences & Diagnostics spin‑off and merged that business with Waters, locking in roughly $4B in proceeds and accelerating a pivot to a pure‑play MedTech company — a structural catalyst for longer‑term re‑rating. BD Merges Biosciences & Diagnostics Business With Waters
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and commentary showed a sales surprise and management highlighted portfolio reshaping and product investments that offset tariff headwinds — supportive for medium‑term margin recovery expectations. BDX Q4 Deep Dive: Portfolio Reshaping and Product Investments Offset Tariff Headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile bullish commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) is adding retail investor interest and narrative support for the “new company” story after the restructuring. Jim Cramer on Becton, Dickinson: “I kind of really like the new company”
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen nudged its price target to $189 from $183 but kept a Hold rating — a modest signal that sentiment is mixed, offering limited near‑term directional impact. TD Cowen Adjusts Becton, Dickinson and Company PT to $189 from $183; Maintains Hold Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple large banks issued pessimistic forecasts or analyst downgrades (JPMorgan, Wells Fargo), increasing selling pressure and contributing to the morning gap down. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo’s pessimistic outlook added to the analyst sell‑side momentum and volatility pressure. Wells Fargo & Company Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup trimmed its price target (publication notes a lower target), and at least one downgrade produced an early‑session gap down — clear near‑term negatives despite the firm’s longer‑term cash/reshaping positives. Citigroup Lowers Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Price Target to $232.00
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes that BDX shares gapped down on an analyst downgrade, signalling immediate selling pressure and higher intraday volume as investors digest mixed signals. Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Gap Down on Analyst Downgrade

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

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.