Pragma Gestao DE Patrimonio Ltd. Takes Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Pragma Gestao DE Patrimonio Ltd. bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 15,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $3,403,000. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for about 1.9% of Pragma Gestao DE Patrimonio Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of 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 valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,807,235. This represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE BDX opened at $227.95 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.87, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $232.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $231.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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 1.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Barclays lifted their price objective on 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 raised their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

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.