Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Acquired by Cetera Investment Advisers

Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 24.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 66,353 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 12,847 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers' holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $15,053,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management boosted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total transaction of $436,325.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 36,033 shares in the company, valued at $8,215,163.67. This trade represents a 1.91% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,578 shares of company stock worth $795,986. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded down $0.02 on Tuesday, hitting $175.32. 3,772,504 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,879,814. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $163.33 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.31. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $207.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $222.48. 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 - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.28 by $0.07. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. The business had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.17 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 9th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.37%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 79.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BDX has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Barclays lowered their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $260.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $231.44.

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.