Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX Shares Sold by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. reduced its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 1.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,100 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 460 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $5,985,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. REAP Financial Group LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% in the fourth quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth $29,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 341.4% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth $34,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of BDX opened at $199.2480 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.10. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $163.33 and a one year high of $251.99. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $179.66 and its 200-day moving average is $196.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.28. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 7.51%.The company had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.50 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.50 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 8th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 8th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 74.82%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total transaction of $213,643.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $881,077.23. This trade represents a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 863 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.30, for a total value of $165,954.90. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 23,143 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,450,398.90. This represents a 3.59% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 3,214 shares of company stock valued at $579,206 over the last 90 days. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on BDX. Wall Street Zen raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Barclays dropped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Bank of America lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $190.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $224.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $211.44.

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.