Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co

Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co decreased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 4.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,377 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,089 shares during the quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $5,984,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $284,429,000 after acquiring an additional 16,918 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.8% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,677,677 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $404,488,000 after purchasing an additional 62,133 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at $173,000. Townsquare Capital LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.8% during the third quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 47,040 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $11,341,000 after buying an additional 1,271 shares during the period. Finally, Freedom Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Freedom Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,291 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $311,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on BDX shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Piper Sandler upped their price target 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. Finally, Barclays lifted 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 report on Friday, February 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX opened at $228.76 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $232.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $231.82. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $251.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $65.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. On average, analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.82%. 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 initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total value of $141,196.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,311,211.44. This represents a 9.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 in the last 90 days. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.