Janus Henderson Group PLC reduced its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 18.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 37,348 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 8,599 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $8,470,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.6% during the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,635 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $371,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 25.4% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 3,429 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $778,000 after buying an additional 694 shares during the period. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $208,000. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 97.7% in the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 3,788 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $859,000 after purchasing an additional 1,872 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Somerset Trust Co increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Somerset Trust Co now owns 15,497 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $3,516,000 after purchasing an additional 703 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance
NYSE:BDX traded down $3.42 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $173.25. 2,633,246 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,922,785. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a 50-day moving average of $201.75 and a 200 day moving average of $220.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $163.33 and a 1-year high of $251.99.
Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's quarterly revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.17 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 9th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.39%.
Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of brokerages have commented on BDX. Bank of America downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $190.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Piper Sandler downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $260.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $196.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Raymond James cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 7th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $231.44.
Read Our Latest Analysis on Becton, Dickinson and Company
Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company
In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total transaction of $94,497.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at $964,107.36. This represents a 8.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 2,878 shares of company stock worth $636,393. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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