Royal Bank Of Canada Initiates Coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Key Points

• Royal Bank Of Canada has initiated coverage of Becton, Dickinson and Company with a "sector perform" rating and a price target of $211.00, suggesting a potential upside of 13.49% from the previous close.
• Other analysts have varying target prices for the stock, with an average target price of $213.09 and a consensus rating of "Hold."
• Becton, Dickinson and Company reported a quarterly EPS of $3.68, surpassing estimates, and predicted FY 2025 EPS guidance between $14.300 and $14.450.

Investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm set a "sector perform" rating and a $211.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier's stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 13.49% from the company's previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Piper Sandler reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $200.00 target price (up previously from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of 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. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of 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. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $213.09.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE:BDX opened at $185.92 on Thursday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $188.15 and its 200-day moving average is $189.56. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $163.33 and a 52-week 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 company has a market cap of $53.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.44, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.27.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.28. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. The company had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.50 EPS. The business's 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total value of $213,643.65. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at $881,077.23. This represents a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total transaction of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at $4,167,375. This represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,965 shares of company stock worth $551,536 over the last quarter. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $401,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares in the last quarter. GTS Securities LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 108.9% in the fourth quarter. GTS Securities LLC now owns 1,344 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $305,000 after purchasing an additional 16,410 shares in the last quarter. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Centaurus Financial Inc. increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 1,444 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $328,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 8,794 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,995,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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