Short Interest in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Drops By 24.0%

Key Points

• Short interest in Becton, Dickinson fell 24.0% in April to 7,213,805 shares (about 2.5% of shares outstanding) with a days-to-cover of roughly 2.9 days.
• BDX reported quarterly EPS of $2.91 (beating the $2.81 consensus) but revenue missed at $4.49B versus $5.15B, and management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $12.35–$12.65 (analysts average 12.56).
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.05 (annualized $4.20, ~2.9% yield) and the board authorized a $10 million share repurchase program.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 7,213,805 shares, a decline of 24.0% from the March 31st total of 9,492,557 shares. Approximately 2.5% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 2,451,299 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX traded down $4.57 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $144.95. The company had a trading volume of 1,865,897 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,761,034. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $127.59 and a 52-week high of $187.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.67, a PEG ratio of 10.68 and a beta of 0.29. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $162.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $182.48.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.10. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.76% and a net margin of 8.01%.The company had revenue of $4.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.43 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company's quarterly revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 9th will be issued a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 68.52%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 27th that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to repurchase up to 0% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on BDX. Bank of America raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $175.00 price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Zacks Research raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Argus reduced their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $230.00 to $180.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.08.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total value of $174,027.33. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 36,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,713,291.43. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders sold 1,102 shares of company stock valued at $198,909. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 256.8% during the third quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 132 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 285.3% in the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 131 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Steph & Co. raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 95.6% in the fourth quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells a broad range of medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. BD's products are used by healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, life science researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to enable safe, effective delivery of care, specimen collection and diagnostic testing. The company's operations span multiple business areas focused on medical devices, life sciences research tools and interventional technologies.

BD's product portfolio includes single-use medical devices such as syringes, needles, needlesafety and injection systems, infusion therapy and medication management solutions, as well as vascular access, urology and oncology devices acquired through its interventional business.

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