Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. Takes $257,000 Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 1,133 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $257,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on BDX shares. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,807,235. This represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was 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 directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. The trade was a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.6 %

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $227.34 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $231.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $231.76. 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 firm has a market cap of $65.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.76, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share 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%. Equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.83%. 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 authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

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.