Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Has $6.17 Million Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. lessened its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 3.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 27,205 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,096 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,172,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $284,429,000 after acquiring an additional 16,918 shares during the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 93.1% during the 3rd quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 2,470 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $596,000 after purchasing an additional 1,191 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 25.8% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 84,998 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $20,493,000 after purchasing an additional 17,444 shares in the last quarter. Pitcairn Co. boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 142.9% in the third quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 3,896 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $939,000 after purchasing an additional 2,292 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swedbank AB grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.8% during the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 150,838 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,367,000 after purchasing an additional 2,729 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on BDX. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target 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. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $229.10 on Tuesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $251.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13. The stock has a market cap of $65.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $232.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $231.91.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued 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 (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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 that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 36,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,215,163.67. This trade represents a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865 in the last 90 days. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.