Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Purchased by Taikang Asset Management Hong Kong Co Ltd

Taikang Asset Management Hong Kong Co Ltd raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 110.5% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 35,050 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 18,400 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up about 1.2% of Taikang Asset Management Hong Kong Co Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Taikang Asset Management Hong Kong Co Ltd’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $7,952,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $401,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares in the last quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.4% during the fourth quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB now owns 176,097 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $39,951,000 after buying an additional 20,859 shares during the period. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $767,000. Busey Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Busey Bank now owns 66,255 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $15,031,000 after acquiring an additional 2,399 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centre Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth $8,382,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.5 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $229.10 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $232.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $231.91. 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 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.82%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on BDX shares. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays raised their price target 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 lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, Director Jeffrey William Henderson acquired 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $233.62 per share, for a total transaction of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 8,015 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. The trade was a 23.02 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 36,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,215,163.67. This trade represents a 1.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.