Amalgamated Bank Sells 1,364 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Amalgamated Bank trimmed its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 55,404 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,364 shares during the quarter. Amalgamated Bank’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $12,570,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Blackhawk Capital Partners LLC. bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $928,000. BankPlus Trust Department bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,273,000. Edge Capital Group LLC grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2,693.5% in the fourth quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC now owns 34,165 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $7,751,000 after purchasing an additional 32,942 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 79.2% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 8,075 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,835,000 after acquiring an additional 3,570 shares during the period. Finally, Shariaportfolio Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Shariaportfolio Inc. now owns 7,940 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,801,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE:BDX opened at $230.14 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $66.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.23, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $233.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $233.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $251.99.

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

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.81%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 36,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,215,163.67. The trade was a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Jeffrey William Henderson acquired 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $233.62 per share, with a total value of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 8,015 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. This represents a 23.02 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays lifted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $278.29.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.