Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX Shares Purchased by UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC

Key Points

• UBS Asset Management increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.3% during the first quarter, owning 1,804,693 shares valued at approximately $413,383,000.
• Citigroup downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong-buy" to a "hold" rating, while several firms have varied their target prices, reflecting mixed sentiment from analysts.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.04 per share, with an annualized yield of 2.2%, set to be paid at the end of September.

UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 3.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,804,693 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 57,780 shares during the quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned 0.63% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $413,383,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Saudi Central Bank bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $26,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $27,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $29,000. REAP Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% during 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 last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 341.4% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.8%

BDX traded down $3.34 on Friday, hitting $187.23. The company had a trading volume of 1,118,088 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,747,428. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $186.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $191.73. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $163.33 and a 12-month high of $251.99. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $53.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.27.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.50 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly 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. Analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 8th will be issued 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 74.82%.

Insider Activity

In related 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 transaction of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 22,226 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,167,375. The trade was a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at $881,077.23. This trade represents a 19.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 2,965 shares of company stock valued at $551,536. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BDX. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price 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. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Piper Sandler restated a "neutral" rating and set a $200.00 price target (up previously from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Barclays cut their price target on 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, Wall Street Zen upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $211.44.

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.