Brokerages Set Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Target Price at $205.40

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $205.40.

BDX has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $200.00 target price (up from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Friday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Argus raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a report on Monday, September 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $211.00 price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Thursday.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of BDX opened at $185.08 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $163.33 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $190.69 and a 200-day simple moving average of $185.17. The stock has a market cap of $53.05 billion, a PE ratio of 33.29, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 7.51%.The business had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 8th were issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 74.82%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total transaction of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 22,226 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,167,375. This trade represents a 3.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,838 shares of company stock worth $348,392. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Northcape Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% in the first quarter. Northcape Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,814 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,248,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.7% during the 1st quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC now owns 984 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $225,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Brady Family Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Brady Family Wealth LLC now owns 4,317 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $989,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 1,188 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $272,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Bill Few Associates Inc. increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bill Few Associates Inc. now owns 7,906 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,362,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% 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.