Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Arlington Partners LLC

Arlington Partners LLC lessened its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 72.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,645 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 12,403 shares during the quarter. Arlington Partners LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,054,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Equitable Trust Co. grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.7% in the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 8,322 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,888,000 after buying an additional 1,132 shares during the last quarter. Quilter Plc acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $227,000. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,353 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $534,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 85.9% in the fourth quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 14,628 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,319,000 after buying an additional 6,759 shares during the last quarter. Finally, V2 Financial group LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $349,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.3 %

NYSE BDX opened at $230.22 on Monday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $218.75 and a twelve month high of $251.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.13. The stock has a market cap of $66.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.24, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.40. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $232.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $234.04.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued 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 anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 dividend yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,807,235. The trade was a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Friday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total transaction of $990,787.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. The trade was a 15.55 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 9,844 shares of company stock valued at $2,210,716 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on BDX. Piper Sandler lifted their price target 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. StockNews.com cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.00.

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.