Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Has $35.71 Million Stock Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lowered its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 157,408 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 890 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $35,711,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake 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 worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $227.95 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $251.99. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $232.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $231.85.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid 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 dividend yield of 1.82%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,377,840. The trade was a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,666,808.01. This represents a 20.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BDX has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

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.