Nuance Investments LLC Invests $7.27 Million in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Nuance Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 32,049 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $7,271,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at $3,807,235. This represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,960. This trade represents a 6.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865 over the last three months. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE:BDX opened at $227.96 on Wednesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $232.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $231.87. The company has a market capitalization of $65.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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%. Equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.82%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 69.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the topic of several research reports. Piper Sandler raised 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. StockNews.com lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $278.29.

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.