Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stake Decreased by Main Street Financial Solutions LLC

Main Street Financial Solutions LLC cut its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 35.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,241 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,220 shares during the period. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $508,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $401,000 after buying an additional 877 shares in the last quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.4% during the fourth quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB now owns 176,097 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $39,951,000 after purchasing an additional 20,859 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Busey Bank now owns 66,255 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $15,031,000 after purchasing an additional 2,399 shares during the period. Centre Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $8,382,000. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.0% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,844,566 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $647,082,000 after purchasing an additional 673,568 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total value of $94,497.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $964,107.36. The trade was a 8.93 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $105,570.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,598,960. The trade was a 6.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,078 shares of company stock worth $915,986 in the last quarter. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.0 %

BDX stock opened at $198.50 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $221.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $228.87. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $193.03 and a 52-week 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. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS 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%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $275.71.

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.