KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Acquires 65,500 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Key Points

• KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson & Company by 61.2%, purchasing 65,500 shares to hold 172,580 shares worth about $33.5 million (≈0.06% ownership).
• Becton, Dickinson reported Q results with EPS $2.91 (beating estimates) but revenue of $4.49 billion missed expectations; the company set FY2026 guidance of EPS 12.35–12.65, near analysts' consensus of 12.56.
• The board approved a $10 million share buyback and the firm pays a $1.05 quarterly dividend (annualized $4.20, ~2.7% yield), while analysts' consensus rating is "Hold" with a $189.08 target price.

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 61.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 172,580 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 65,500 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS owned about 0.06% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $33,493,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9,056.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,232,086 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $979,290,000 after purchasing an additional 5,174,944 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 9,994,408 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,870,653,000 after purchasing an additional 1,208,218 shares during the last quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 40.6% during the 3rd quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 2,954,898 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $553,068,000 after purchasing an additional 852,854 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at $152,931,000. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.5% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 9,150,584 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,712,715,000 after purchasing an additional 636,138 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total value of $174,027.33. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 36,763 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,713,291.43. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,103 shares of company stock valued at $202,870. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE:BDX opened at $155.87 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $164.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $183.64. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $127.59 and a 12 month high of $187.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market cap of $44.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.43, a P/E/G ratio of 11.14 and a beta of 0.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.81 by $0.10. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 15.76%. The firm had revenue of $4.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.15 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.43 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.56 EPS for the current year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were given a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 68.52%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on BDX. Zacks Research raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Friday, April 10th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $167.00 price target on the stock. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $189.08.

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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