Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Purchased by MONECO Advisors LLC

MONECO Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 22.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,491 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 276 shares during the quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $338,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% during the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth about $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX stock opened at $230.40 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $218.75 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The firm has a market cap of $66.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $232.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $233.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. On average, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total transaction of $990,787.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,380,488.45. This trade represents a 15.55 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on BDX shares. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.