Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the five analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $280.00.

Separately, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 2.4 %

NYSE BDX traded down $5.73 on Friday, reaching $234.62. The company had a trading volume of 1,722,348 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,413,846. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $229.40 and a 52 week high of $287.32. The stock's 50 day moving average is $238.68 and its 200-day moving average is $240.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The stock has a market cap of $67.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.61, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.45.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $5.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.04 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.57% and a net margin of 6.44%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.86 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is presently 90.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Callan Capital LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Callan Capital LLC now owns 7,039 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,742,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $252,000. Westchester Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.9% in the first quarter. Westchester Capital Management Inc. now owns 48,152 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $11,915,000 after purchasing an additional 2,690 shares during the last quarter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.4% during the first quarter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. now owns 16,245 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $4,020,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Parlapiano Turner & Welch LLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Franklin Parlapiano Turner & Welch LLC now owns 29,606 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $7,326,000 after buying an additional 502 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.