Raymond James Financial Inc. Takes Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 799,042 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $181,279,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned about 0.28% of Becton, Dickinson and Company at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of BDX. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.4% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 14,288 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,437,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 62.0% in the third quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 42,013 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $10,129,000 after purchasing an additional 16,074 shares during the last quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at approximately $222,000. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 23.8% during the third quarter. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC now owns 1,271 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $306,000 after buying an additional 244 shares during the period. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% during the third quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,312 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,245,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on BDX shares. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 36,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,215,163.67. This represents a 1.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,371,469.53. The trade was a 31.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 6,061 shares of company stock valued at $1,379,521 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE:BDX opened at $229.51 on Friday. 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 $65.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $218.75 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $232.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $232.73.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly 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 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. Analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership 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.