Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Price Target Raised at Barclays

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) had its price objective boosted by analysts at Barclays from $165.00 to $195.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “underweight” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Barclays‘s price target suggests a potential downside of 8.52% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $163.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $161.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Bank of America upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $208.00 to $241.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $197.47.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE BDX opened at $213.16 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.62, a P/E/G ratio of 14.10 and a beta of 0.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The company’s fifty day moving average is $188.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $170.32. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $140.11 and a 52-week high of $216.74.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.07 by $0.08. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 4.52% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The business had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.96 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.27 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 5th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to buy up to 3.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Share buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Thomas E. Polen, Jr. sold 2,993 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.00, for a total value of $628,530.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 110,163 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,134,230. This represents a 2.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Michael Feld sold 165 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.49, for a total transaction of $31,100.85. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 19,720 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,717,022.80. This trade represents a 0.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 7,462 shares of company stock valued at $1,456,770. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13,900.0% in the 3rd quarter. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 140 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 59.0% during the third quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 152.2% during the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 169 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Main Street Group LTD acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company, commonly known as BD, is a global medical technology company that develops and manufactures products used in healthcare, clinical laboratories and life sciences research. Founded in 1897, the company has a long history of producing medical devices and supplies.

BD’s products include syringes, needles, infusion systems and medication-management technologies, as well as equipment and supplies for collecting and processing clinical specimens. The company also provides diagnostic systems, laboratory instruments and tools used in areas such as cell analysis and biomedical research.

Its offerings serve hospitals, clinics, laboratories, researchers and pharmaceutical companies.