Michael David Garrison Sells 2,838 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This trade represents a 31.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $227.68 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.03 billion, a PE ratio of 38.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.17. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $249.89. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $229.88 and a 200 day moving average of $233.16.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.42 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.83%. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 70.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Citigroup raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $283.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% during the 3rd quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Abound Wealth Management lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 96.0% in the second quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 196 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

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.