Tower Research Capital LLC TRC Acquires 7,682 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 99.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,433 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 7,682 shares during the quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,501,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its stake 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 buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $196.88 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $220.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $228.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $193.03 and a 1-year high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.11%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on BDX. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Eight 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 a consensus target price of $275.71.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $964,107.36. This represents a 8.93 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total transaction of $436,325.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,411 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,666,808.01. The trade was a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 3,578 shares of company stock worth $795,986 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.