United Asset Strategies Inc. Purchases 13,544 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Key Points

• United Asset Strategies Inc. increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 452.8% during the first quarter, owning 16,535 shares valued at approximately $3.79 million.
• Several research firms have issued target price adjustments for Becton, Dickinson and Company, with Wells Fargo raising its target from $172 to $184, while Goldman Sachs downgraded from "buy" to "neutral" with a target of $192.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company recently reported quarterly earnings of $3.68 EPS, exceeding expectations, and announced a quarterly dividend of $1.04, implying a yield of 2.1%.

United Asset Strategies Inc. increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 452.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,535 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 13,544 shares during the quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc.'s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,788,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Northcape Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% in the first quarter. Northcape Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,814 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,248,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.7% in the first quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC now owns 984 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $225,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Brady Family Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Brady Family Wealth LLC now owns 4,317 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $989,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 1,188 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $272,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total transaction of $213,643.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This trade represents a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 863 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.30, for a total value of $165,954.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 23,143 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,450,398.90. This represents a 3.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,214 shares of company stock worth $579,206. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.5%

BDX stock traded up $2.8730 during trading on Friday, reaching $199.5030. The company had a trading volume of 1,619,788 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,720,196. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $163.33 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The business has a 50 day moving average of $180.65 and a 200 day moving average of $195.26. The company has a market cap of $57.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.88, a PEG ratio of 1.49 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, 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 business had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.50 EPS. The business's revenue 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. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 8th will be given a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 8th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 74.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Citigroup lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $217.00 to $185.00 in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Piper Sandler reissued 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 report on Friday, August 8th. Bank of America cut 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $211.44.

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.