Royal Bank Of Canada Upgrades Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) to Hold

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) was upgraded by analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on BDX. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $177.00 to $170.00 in a report on Friday, June 12th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $195.00 target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $163.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $202.00 to $204.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $161.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $185.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX stock opened at $176.53 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The company has a market capitalization of $48.64 billion, a PE ratio of 53.17, a P/E/G ratio of 12.53 and a beta of 0.19. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $154.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $162.51. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $127.59 and a 12-month high of $187.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.14 by $0.09. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 4.52% and a return on equity of 14.84%. The firm had revenue of $4.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.68 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.620-12.720 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.62 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, CEO Thomas E. Polen, Jr. sold 2,764 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.35, for a total value of $404,511.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 110,163 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,122,355.05. The trade was a 2.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.66, for a total transaction of $160,226.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 13,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,918,633.52. The trade was a 7.71% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 5,189 shares of company stock worth $765,661. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Steph & Co. raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 95.6% during the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 64.2% in the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 156 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Becton, Dickinson and Company

Here are the key news stories impacting Becton, Dickinson and Company this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results beat estimates. Fiscal Q3 revenue rose 5.4% year over year to approximately $5.0 billion, exceeding the $4.89 billion consensus estimate. Adjusted EPS of $3.23 also surpassed expectations of $3.14, with growth across BD’s core medical and interventional businesses. BD Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: BD raised its fiscal 2026 outlook. The company now expects adjusted EPS of $12.62 to $12.72, above the prior outlook and the roughly $12.56 analyst consensus. Management also expects revenue growth toward the high end of its range and is targeting 90% free-cash-flow conversion. Year-to-date operating cash flow increased 33.3% to $2.1 billion, while free cash flow rose 44.6% to $1.7 billion. BD raises FY 2026 adjusted EPS guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup became more bullish. Citi raised its price target from $198 to $204 and assigned a “buy” rating, implying meaningful upside based on the cited reference price.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain divided. Piper Sandler lifted its target to $175 but maintained a “neutral” rating, while Wells Fargo raised its target to $170 and kept an “equal weight” rating. Both targets remain below the cited share price, limiting the positive impact of the revisions.
• Negative Sentiment: Margins and earnings comparisons are concerns. Although revenue and adjusted earnings beat forecasts, margins declined and adjusted EPS fell from $3.68 in the year-earlier quarter. The stock’s elevated valuation may also make investors more sensitive to profitability pressure.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells a broad range of medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. BD’s products are used by healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, life science researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to enable safe, effective delivery of care, specimen collection and diagnostic testing. The company’s operations span multiple business areas focused on medical devices, life sciences research tools and interventional technologies.

BD’s product portfolio includes single-use medical devices such as syringes, needles, needlesafety and injection systems, infusion therapy and medication management solutions, as well as vascular access, urology and oncology devices acquired through its interventional business.