Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Reaches New 52-Week Low at $229.40

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $229.40 and last traded at $231.63, with a volume of 865704 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $231.01.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BDX shares. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $280.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.5 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $240.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $242.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.43.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.98 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th were given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.64%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 90.05%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth $25,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.