Northcape Wealth Management LLC Grows Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Northcape Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 9,763 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Northcape Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,215,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 12.8% during the 4th quarter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. now owns 27,693 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $6,283,000 after purchasing an additional 3,143 shares during the last quarter. Mcdonald Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 11.0% in the fourth quarter. Mcdonald Partners LLC now owns 6,915 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,569,000 after purchasing an additional 688 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 26.4% in the fourth quarter. Hara Capital LLC now owns 335 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Waycross Partners LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.1% during the fourth quarter. Waycross Partners LLC now owns 88,594 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $20,099,000 after buying an additional 11,633 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BDX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total transaction of $139,741.14. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,217 shares in the company, valued at $3,113,949.51. This represents a 4.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total value of $633,810.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE:BDX opened at $225.11 on Wednesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $232.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $233.42. The company has a market capitalization of $64.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. Equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.