Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Holdings Cut by Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.

Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. lessened its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 17.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 104,992 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 22,073 shares during the quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $23,820,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $284,429,000 after acquiring an additional 16,918 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $458,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,867 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,415,000 after buying an additional 496 shares during the period. Claro Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.8% during the third quarter. Claro Advisors LLC now owns 3,579 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $863,000 after buying an additional 778 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.3% in the third quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 857,802 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $206,816,000 after acquiring an additional 2,500 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays raised 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. Piper Sandler raised their target price on 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. Finally, StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $227.84 on Tuesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $218.75 and a twelve month 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 business has a fifty day moving average of $232.72 and a 200-day moving average of $232.19. The firm has a market cap of $65.42 billion, a PE ratio of 37.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

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 $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.83%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total value of $436,325.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,666,808.01. The trade was a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total value of $633,810.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This trade represents a 31.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 7,363 shares of company stock valued at $1,676,105 over the last three months. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.