Wells Fargo & Company Cuts Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Price Target to $157.00

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) had its price target decreased by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $184.00 to $157.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “equal weight” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price would suggest a potential downside of 6.91% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on BDX. Piper Sandler set a $170.00 price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $197.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $201.75.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $168.66 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $200.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $192.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.00, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.25. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $162.29 and a 52 week high of $235.34.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.10. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.42% and a net margin of 7.68%.The business had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.43 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $334,010.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 12,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,509,228.70. This trade represents a 11.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In the last quarter, insiders sold 2,463 shares of company stock valued at $501,530. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. increased its position 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 valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 285.3% in the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 131 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Steph & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 95.6% in the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 474.1% in the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 155 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Becton, Dickinson and Company

Here are the key news stories impacting Becton, Dickinson and Company this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat street estimates — adjusted EPS $2.91 vs. consensus ~ $2.81 and revenue ~$5.25B topped estimates; margins expanded even as y/y adjusted profit declined. BD Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: BD completed the combination of its Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters, executing a strategic portfolio simplification that comes with a planned $4B cash deployment for the newly positioned “New BD.” BD Completes Combination of Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions Business with Waters Corporation
• Positive Sentiment: Insider activity showed bullish option/stock bets recently, which can signal management/insider confidence in the post-transaction path. Becton Dickinson Insiders Placed Bullish Bets
• Neutral Sentiment: New analyst coverage from Barclays: started coverage with an “Overweight” rating but set a $202 price target (below recent levels), reflecting mixed views on valuation post-transaction.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company provided FY2026 EPS guidance for the reorganized New BD (EPS $12.35–$12.65) and affirmed revenue growth guidance — the range reflects the accounting and structural effects of the spin-off and cash deployment plans. BD Outlines $12.35–$12.65 EPS Guidance for 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Management cut its annual profit forecast to reflect the sale/spin-off of the biosciences & diagnostics unit — that reduction materially lowers FY26 EPS vs. prior consensus and is the main driver of the negative market reaction. Becton Dickinson cuts annual profit forecast (Reuters)
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares fell after the print — investors focused on the lowered FY26 EPS outlook and the impact of the transaction, which overshadowed the underlying beat and margin improvement. Shares fall as guidance overshadows beat

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.