Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the sixteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $195.4615.

Several research firms recently commented on BDX. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $202.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $197.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.46, for a total value of $334,010.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 12,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,509,228.70. This represents a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total transaction of $174,027.33. Following the sale, the director owned 36,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,713,291.43. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 3,416 shares of company stock worth $674,693 over the last three months. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 256.8% in the third quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 132 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 285.3% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 131 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Steph & Co. increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 95.6% in the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $159.32 on Monday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $127.59 and a 12 month high of $187.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.99, a P/E/G ratio of 11.55 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $190.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $189.97.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.81 by $0.10. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 15.76%. The company had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.15 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.43 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 27th that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy up to 0% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be paid a $1.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 68.52%.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells a broad range of medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. BD’s products are used by healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, life science researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to enable safe, effective delivery of care, specimen collection and diagnostic testing. The company’s operations span multiple business areas focused on medical devices, life sciences research tools and interventional technologies.

BD’s product portfolio includes single-use medical devices such as syringes, needles, needlesafety and injection systems, infusion therapy and medication management solutions, as well as vascular access, urology and oncology devices acquired through its interventional business.