Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Gulf International Bank UK Ltd

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd decreased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,896 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 249 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $4,967,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 113,804 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $25,819,000 after purchasing an additional 2,200 shares in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 38,863 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $8,817,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $119,000. Sabal Trust CO lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 99.4% during the 4th quarter. Sabal Trust CO now owns 5,082 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,153,000 after buying an additional 2,533 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 25.0% in the 4th quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC now owns 8,939 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,028,000 after buying an additional 1,788 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $224.44 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $233.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $233.11. The company has a market capitalization of $64.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.40. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $218.75 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on BDX shares. StockNews.com lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 36,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,215,163.67. This represents a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.