Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) EVP David Shan Sells 500 Shares of Stock

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX stock opened at $238.05 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $227.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $232.79. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $248.42. The company has a market capitalization of $69.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.42 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th were paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.75%. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.03%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on BDX. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. StockNews.com cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. AE Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 36.2% in the 2nd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,482 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $580,000 after buying an additional 660 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 12.1% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 13,806 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,227,000 after purchasing an additional 1,490 shares during the last quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.3% in the second quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 1,422 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $332,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6,043.9% during the 2nd quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 2,519 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $589,000 after purchasing an additional 2,478 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Epoch Investment Partners Inc. grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 15,129 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,536,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

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.