Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Given New $280.00 Price Target at Stifel Nicolaus

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) had its target price lifted by Stifel Nicolaus from $270.00 to $280.00 in a research note published on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a buy rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on BDX. Citigroup reduced their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Barclays lifted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $274.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $280.13.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $237.91 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $284.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.42. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $232.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $236.16.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.90% and a net margin of 6.76%. The business had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.04 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.86 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 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, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 83.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total value of $71,793.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $472,876.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total value of $71,793.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $472,876.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.73, for a total value of $781,209.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,676,942.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 6,900 shares of company stock valued at $1,634,112 in the last 90 days. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth approximately $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company 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.