Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twelve analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $203.2727.

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $224.00 to $210.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $177.88 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $50.99 billion, a PE ratio of 31.99, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $162.29 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The company’s 50-day moving average is $186.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $182.30.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. The business had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter. Equities 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 company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th will be issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 71.36%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total value of $38,317.86. Following the sale, the director directly owned 35,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,324,389.28. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total transaction of $171,937.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,167,375. This represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 1,249 shares of company stock valued at $231,358 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth about $3,458,000. RiverGlades Family Offices LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $344,000. Hutchinson Financial Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,024,000. Finally, Versor Investments LP increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 73.2% during the 2nd quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 4,336 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $747,000 after purchasing an additional 1,833 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.