Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Receives $283.50 Consensus PT from Brokerages

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the six research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $283.50.

A number of research firms have weighed in on BDX. StockNews.com lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $233.65 on Wednesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $248.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $226.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $232.45.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.42 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th were issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This is a boost from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 70.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total transaction of $139,741.14. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,217 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,113,949.51. This trade represents a 4.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,807,235. The trade was a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 8,747 shares of company stock valued at $1,949,520. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% in the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company 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.