Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) CEO Thomas Polen, Jr. Sells 2,993 Shares of Stock

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) CEO Thomas Polen, Jr. sold 2,993 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $210.00, for a total value of $628,530.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 110,163 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,134,230. This represents a 2.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of BDX traded up $3.25 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $215.13. 2,039,052 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,436,180. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $138.31 and a 1-year high of $216.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a market capitalization of $59.28 billion, a PE ratio of 51.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 14.26 and a beta of 0.22. The business has a 50 day moving average of $188.17 and a 200 day moving average of $170.28.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.15 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.07 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.11 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 5.66% and a return on equity of 14.90%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.96 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.27 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 10th. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 102.42%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 5th that authorizes the company to buy back 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to repurchase up to 3.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on BDX shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $242.00 price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Barclays began coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $190.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $195.47.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13,900.0% during the third quarter. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 140 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 152.2% during the 1st quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 169 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Main Street Group LTD acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company, commonly known as BD, is a global medical technology company that develops and manufactures products used in healthcare, clinical laboratories and life sciences research. Founded in 1897, the company has a long history of producing medical devices and supplies.

BD’s products include syringes, needles, infusion systems and medication-management technologies, as well as equipment and supplies for collecting and processing clinical specimens. The company also provides diagnostic systems, laboratory instruments and tools used in areas such as cell analysis and biomedical research.

Its offerings serve hospitals, clinics, laboratories, researchers and pharmaceutical companies.