Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX Shares Bought by Comerica Bank

Key Points

• Comerica Bank increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.2%, owning 66,785 shares valued at approximately $15.3 million at the end of the first quarter.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 86.97% of Becton, Dickinson and Company's stock, indicating significant institutional interest.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company reported $3.68 earnings per share for the most recent quarter, surpassing estimates and representing a 10.4% revenue increase year-over-year.

Comerica Bank grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 6.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 66,785 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 3,870 shares during the period. Comerica Bank's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $15,298,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $401,000 after buying an additional 877 shares during the period. Hara Capital LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 26.4% during the 4th quarter. Hara Capital LLC now owns 335 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 4,973 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,128,000 after buying an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,168 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $946,000 after buying an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 425.5% during the fourth quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 494 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $112,000 after buying an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $200.00 price target (up from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Friday, August 8th. Wall Street Zen raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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 note on Friday, August 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $211.44.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, Director Claire Fraser sold 863 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.30, for a total transaction of $165,954.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 23,143 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,450,398.90. This represents a 3.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.19, for a total transaction of $199,607.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at $783,194.25. This represents a 20.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 3,214 shares of company stock valued at $579,206. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $1.59 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $192.84. 1,329,461 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,590,658. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $163.33 and a twelve month high of $251.99. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $183.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $194.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market cap of $55.27 billion, a PE ratio of 34.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.20.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.50 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.50 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 8th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 74.82%.

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.