Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Holdings Boosted by Stevens Capital Management LP

Stevens Capital Management LP raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 139.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,452 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,426 shares during the quarter. Stevens Capital Management LP’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $556,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management boosted its stake in 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 valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX opened at $230.63 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $232.58 and a 200-day moving average of $231.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.31, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99. 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 released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (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%. Equities analysts forecast 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 initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s management 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.80%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays increased their price target 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 raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.