Independent Advisor Alliance Grows Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Independent Advisor Alliance raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 9.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,348 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 926 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,348,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth $33,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 174.4% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 214 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at $1,666,808.01. This represents a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,840. The trade was a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,363 shares of company stock valued at $1,676,105 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $222.65 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $232.82 and a 200-day moving average of $232.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $63.93 billion, a PE ratio of 36.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. Analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.87%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BDX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price 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.