Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Position Lowered by Choate Investment Advisors

Choate Investment Advisors lessened its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 32.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,903 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 928 shares during the quarter. Choate Investment Advisors’ holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $432,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX opened at $227.84 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $232.72 and its 200-day moving average is $232.19. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The firm has a market cap of $65.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

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 net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. Equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.83%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on BDX. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $278.29.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 7,363 shares of company stock worth $1,676,105. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.