Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Transcend Capital Advisors LLC

Transcend Capital Advisors LLC lessened its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 46.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,729 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 2,404 shares during the period. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $619,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on BDX shares. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, 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 report on Friday, February 14th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $227.54 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $218.75 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.80, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $232.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $233.27.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.83%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total value of $139,741.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,217 shares in the company, valued at $3,113,949.51. This represents a 4.29 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 36,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,215,163.67. This represents a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309. Company insiders own 0.36% 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.