Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Renaissance Technologies LLC

Renaissance Technologies LLC decreased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 63.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 245,991 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 427,100 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $55,808,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the company’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 value of $120,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $105,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,196 shares of company stock valued at $962,685. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of BDX opened at $209.57 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $60.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.81, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $225.75 and a 200-day moving average of $230.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $193.03 and a 52 week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted 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%. As a group, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.99%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $275.71.

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.