Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Caitlin John LLC

Caitlin John LLC lessened its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 15.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,661 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 294 shares during the quarter. Caitlin John LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $377,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Bleakley Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 4,271 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $969,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. NovaPoint Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. NovaPoint Capital LLC now owns 14,290 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,242,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $249,000. Tyche Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $500,000. Finally, Choreo LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 7,703 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,752,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE BDX opened at $245.07 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.26, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $231.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $234.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.17. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $218.75 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.03%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total value of $139,741.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,217 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,113,949.51. This represents a 4.29 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,844 shares of company stock worth $2,210,716. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.