Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Purchased by Asset Management One Co. Ltd.

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 4.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 135,558 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,265 shares during the quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $30,974,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% during the 3rd quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on BDX. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.1 %

BDX opened at $224.89 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $232.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $233.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $65.22 billion, a PE ratio of 37.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.40. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total transaction of $139,741.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,217 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,113,949.51. This represents a 4.29 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.