New York Life Investment Management LLC Acquires 305 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

New York Life Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 38,863 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 305 shares during the quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $8,817,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.5% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 8,027 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,935,000 after acquiring an additional 766 shares during the last quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $304,000. MONECO Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.9% in the third quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC now owns 1,215 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $293,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.7% during the third quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 33,738 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $8,226,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the period. Finally, Diversify Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 18.4% in the third quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,452 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $590,000 after buying an additional 381 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total value of $633,810.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total transaction of $990,787.83. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 24,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. The trade was a 15.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over 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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on BDX. Barclays upped their price target on 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. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.4 %

BDX stock opened at $224.44 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $233.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $233.11. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $218.75 and a twelve month high of $251.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.44 billion, a PE ratio of 37.28, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, 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 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%. On average, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.85%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

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.