Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Down 1.1% – Time to Sell?

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) was down 1.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $224.34 and last traded at $225.15. Approximately 395,798 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 2,003,429 shares. The stock had previously closed at $227.59.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Piper Sandler increased their target price 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. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 1.4 %

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $233.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $233.17. The company has a market cap of $64.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.40. 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 (NYSE:BDX) last posted 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%. On average, equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total value of $990,787.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,345 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. The trade was a 15.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 10,544 shares of company stock worth $2,370,309 over the last ninety days. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.5% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 8,027 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,935,000 after buying an additional 766 shares in the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 18.2% in the 3rd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 3,555 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $857,000 after acquiring an additional 547 shares in the last quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $304,000. abrdn plc raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 81.6% during the 3rd quarter. abrdn plc now owns 269,978 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $64,498,000 after purchasing an additional 121,309 shares during the period. Finally, MONECO Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.9% in the third quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC now owns 1,215 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $293,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.