20,293 Shares in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX Acquired by ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC

Key Points

• ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC has acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company, purchasing 20,293 shares valued at approximately $3.49 million during the second quarter.
• Insider transactions show decreasing ownership, with EVP Michael David Garrison and Director Claire Fraser both selling shares recently, indicating a 19.52% and 3.96% decrease in their holdings, respectively.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company reported a 10.4% increase in revenue year-over-year, with a quarterly earnings per share of $3.68 that exceeded consensus estimates.

ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 20,293 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $3,495,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth $27,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth $29,000. REAP Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% in the fourth quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 341.4% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX traded down $1.10 on Friday, reaching $187.27. 2,750,943 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,535,837. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market cap of $53.68 billion, a PE ratio of 33.68, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.27. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $187.65 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $190.16. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $163.33 and a 52-week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.28. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 7.51%.The business had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.50 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.50 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company's revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 8th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 74.82%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BDX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $200.00 target price (up previously from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Argus upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $213.30.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total value of $171,937.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,167,375. The trade was a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total value of $213,643.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This represents a 19.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,965 shares of company stock worth $551,536 in the last quarter. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.