Two Sigma Investments LP Sells 307,657 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Two Sigma Investments LP lowered its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 36.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 535,052 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 307,657 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP owned about 0.18% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $121,387,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $50,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE:BDX opened at $175.37 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.13, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.31. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $163.33 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $203.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $220.72. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.17 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on BDX. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $224.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Bank of America cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $190.00 price target for the company. in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Piper Sandler cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their price target for the company from $260.00 to $185.00 in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on 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 research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $231.44.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total transaction of $94,497.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $964,107.36. This trade represents a 8.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,598,960. This trade represents a 6.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 2,878 shares of company stock valued at $636,393. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

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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