HBK Sorce Advisory LLC Sells 155 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lowered its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 5.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,889 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 155 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $655,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of BDX. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $284,429,000 after buying an additional 16,918 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at about $458,000. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 37.6% in the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,673 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $886,000 after acquiring an additional 1,004 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Metis Global Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 10,829 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,611,000 after acquiring an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.6 %

BDX opened at $226.43 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $232.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $232.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.61, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. Analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.84%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on BDX. Barclays boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,363 shares of company stock worth $1,676,105. Company 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.