Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Position Raised by Providence Capital Advisors LLC

Providence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 43.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 26,970 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,230 shares during the period. Providence Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,119,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $401,000 after buying an additional 877 shares in the last quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB now owns 176,097 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $39,951,000 after acquiring an additional 20,859 shares in the last quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at about $767,000. Busey Bank lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Busey Bank now owns 66,255 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $15,031,000 after purchasing an additional 2,399 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centre Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $8,382,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total transaction of $141,196.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,311,211.44. This trade represents a 9.72 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of BDX opened at $228.76 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $232.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $231.82. 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 has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.82%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 69.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on BDX shares. Barclays upped their price target on shares of 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. StockNews.com downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

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.