Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Independent Solutions Wealth Management LLC

Independent Solutions Wealth Management LLC lessened its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 13.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,539 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 241 shares during the period. Independent Solutions Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $349,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.8% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,953,116 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,364,096,000 after purchasing an additional 106,616 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,285,513 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,510,050,000 after acquiring an additional 111,101 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,365,554 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,293,635,000 after acquiring an additional 460,440 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.4% in the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,426,022 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,004,132,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057,879 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,053,416 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $692,729,000 after purchasing an additional 66,873 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Piper Sandler raised their target price 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. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $231.94 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $232.64 and a 200 day simple moving average of $232.12. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $251.99. The company has a market capitalization of $66.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $105,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jeffrey William Henderson bought 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $233.62 per share, for a total transaction of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 8,015 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,872,464.30. The trade was a 23.02 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,984 shares of company stock valued at $1,147,865 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.