18,383 Shares in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Acquired by Fisher Funds Management LTD

Fisher Funds Management LTD purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 18,383 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $4,165,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,646 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Redmond Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 115.3% in the 4th quarter. Redmond Asset Management LLC now owns 6,453 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,464,000 after purchasing an additional 3,456 shares during the period. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.1% in the 4th quarter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI now owns 37,488 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $8,505,000 after purchasing an additional 11,472 shares in the last quarter. Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 123.5% in the 4th quarter. Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 6,380 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,447,000 after purchasing an additional 3,526 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mattern Capital Management LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.0% during the 4th quarter. Mattern Capital Management LLC now owns 32,359 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $7,341,000 after purchasing an additional 1,843 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total value of $139,741.14. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,217 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,113,949.51. The trade was a 4.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at $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. Insiders have sold a total of 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on BDX. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX opened at $227.54 on Monday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $218.75 and a twelve month high of $251.99. The firm has a market cap of $65.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.80, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $232.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $233.27.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 69.10%.

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.