Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Price Target Lowered to $175.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus cut its price target on Becton, Dickinson to $175 (from $215), implying roughly a 13.35% upside from the stock's prior close.
• BDX beat Q2 expectations with adjusted EPS of $2.90 vs. $2.77 and revenue of $4.71B vs. $4.67B, and raised FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $12.52–$12.72.
• The company executed a $2.0B accelerated share repurchase and retired $2.1B of debt, while analysts remain mixed overall with a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $184.71.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) had its price target cut by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $215.00 to $175.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. Stifel Nicolaus' price objective would indicate a potential upside of 13.35% from the company's previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $184.00 to $157.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $233.00 to $232.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Evercore lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $180.00 to $190.00 in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Friday, April 10th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $167.00 target price on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $184.71.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 6.6%

BDX stock opened at $154.38 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $158.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $181.08. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $127.59 and a 12 month high of $187.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.96 billion, a PE ratio of 24.93, a P/E/G ratio of 10.32 and a beta of 0.22.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.13. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.76% and a net margin of 8.01%.The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.67 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.35 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.520-12.720 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 27th that authorizes the company to buyback $10.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to buy up to 0% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total value of $174,027.33. Following the transaction, the director owned 36,763 shares in the company, valued at $6,713,291.43. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,102 shares of company stock valued at $198,909. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 22,225.2% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 40,711,035 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $790,079,000 after acquiring an additional 40,528,680 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 36,678,939 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $7,118,282,000 after purchasing an additional 4,223,149 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,989,132 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,714,871,000 after purchasing an additional 116,737 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 16.5% during the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 11,646,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,260,139,000 after purchasing an additional 1,651,592 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 9,486,694 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,841,083,000 after buying an additional 336,110 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Becton, Dickinson and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat analyst expectations — adjusted EPS of $2.90 vs. $2.77 consensus and revenue of $4.71B vs. $4.67B, driven by broad segment strength and improved margins. BD Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised full‑year adjusted EPS guidance to $12.52–$12.72 (slightly above consensus) and raised its annual profit forecast, citing strength in drug‑delivery devices and surgical equipment — a key driver of the rally. Becton Dickinson raises annual profit forecast on strength in drug delivery devices
• Positive Sentiment: Significant capital allocation moves: executed a $2.0B accelerated share repurchase (ASR) and retired $2.1B of debt in the quarter — supports EPS per share and reduces leverage. BD Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management change announced — Vitor Roque named CFO effective May 7, providing leadership clarity after the quarter. BD Appoints Vitor Roque Chief Financial Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Company reaffirmed low‑single‑digit revenue growth for FY‑2026 — indicates modest top‑line expansion even as margins and EPS outlook improve. BD forecasts FY 2026 adjusted EPS of $12.52-$12.72 while reaffirming low-single-digit revenue growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flow shows elevated activity that some services interpret as bets on near‑term volatility or a price move — worth watching but not a fundamental driver yet. Is the Options Market Predicting a Spike in Becton Dickinson Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP EPS and adjusted EPS remain lower year‑over‑year (prior-year EPS was $3.35 vs. $2.90 this quarter), signaling some profit pressure despite the beat — a caution for longer‑term growth expectations. Becton, Dickinson and Company earnings report

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells a broad range of medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. BD's products are used by healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, life science researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to enable safe, effective delivery of care, specimen collection and diagnostic testing. The company's operations span multiple business areas focused on medical devices, life sciences research tools and interventional technologies.

BD's product portfolio includes single-use medical devices such as syringes, needles, needlesafety and injection systems, infusion therapy and medication management solutions, as well as vascular access, urology and oncology devices acquired through its interventional business.

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