Citigroup Issues Positive Forecast for Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Price

Key Points

• Citigroup raised its Becton, Dickinson price target to $241 from $208 and maintained a Buy rating, implying 13.53% upside from the cited share price.
• BD reported quarterly EPS of $4.15 and revenue of $5.27 billion, both above analyst estimates; revenue increased 5.4% year over year.
• The company authorized repurchases of up to 10 million shares, or about 3.6% of shares outstanding. Analyst views remain mixed, with MarketBeat reporting a Moderate Buy consensus and a $193.67 average target.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by analysts at Citigroup from $208.00 to $241.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the medical instruments supplier's stock. Citigroup's price objective points to a potential upside of 13.53% from the company's current price.

Several other research firms have also commented on BDX. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $161.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday. UBS Group assumed coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. They set a "buy" rating and a $190.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $193.67.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX traded down $1.28 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $212.27. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,118,168 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,434,846. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.87. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $137.35 and a 1-year high of $214.88. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $187.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $170.23. The firm has a market cap of $58.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 63.94, a P/E/G ratio of 14.10 and a beta of 0.22.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.07 by $0.08. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 4.52% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The firm had revenue of $5.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.11 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.96 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company's quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 5th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to reacquire up to 3.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael Feld sold 165 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.49, for a total transaction of $31,100.85. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 19,720 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,717,022.80. The trade was a 0.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Thomas E. Polen, Jr. sold 4,152 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.00, for a total value of $768,120.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 110,163 shares of the company's stock, valued at $20,380,155. This trade represents a 3.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 6,907 shares of company stock valued at $1,269,128 in the last three months. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13,900.0% during the 3rd quarter. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 140 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 152.2% in the 1st quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 169 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Main Street Group LTD bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Becton, Dickinson and Company

Here are the key news stories impacting Becton, Dickinson and Company this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BD beat Q4 estimates, reporting adjusted EPS of $4.15 versus about $4.07 expected and revenue of $5.27 billion versus $5.11 billion expected. Revenue rose 5.4% year over year; full-year free cash flow increased 42.5% to $2.9 billion. BD fiscal 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: The board raised the quarterly dividend 1% to $1.06 per share and authorized repurchases of up to 10 million shares—about 3.6% of shares outstanding. These actions may support shareholder returns. Dividend and buyback announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets: RBC to $225 while maintaining a sector-perform rating, Piper Sandler to $200 with a neutral rating, and Evercore ISI to $230. The targets are mixed relative to BDX’s recent trading level and do not signal a clear consensus shift. Piper Sandler target update
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the quarterly beat, BDX’s fiscal 2027 revenue-growth outlook was described as subdued and full-year guidance came in slightly below expectations. Investors may be focused on the prospect of slower growth, which helps explain pressure on the shares after results. BD outlook coverage

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company, commonly known as BD, is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells a broad range of products used by healthcare providers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and patients. Its offerings support medication delivery, diagnostics, infection prevention, surgical care and other clinical procedures.

BD's products include needles, syringes, injection devices, intravenous administration systems, medication-management technologies, specimen-collection products, diagnostic systems and laboratory instruments.

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