Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Hits New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $251.99 and last traded at $249.15, with a volume of 961924 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $247.60.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on BDX. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of 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 cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $283.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $71.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.26, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.40. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $231.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $234.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. Equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 70.03%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total value of $120,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total value of $990,787.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. This represents a 15.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,844 shares of company stock valued at $2,210,716. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Norden Group LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.8% during the fourth quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 11,088 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,515,000 after purchasing an additional 990 shares in the last quarter. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $93,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 19.3% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 3,237 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $733,000 after acquiring an additional 523 shares during the period. Bridges Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.7% in the 4th quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 15,377 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,489,000 after acquiring an additional 1,489 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maia Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $285,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.