Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Reaches New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on BDX shares. StockNews.com cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $231.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $234.02. The company has a market cap of $71.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.40.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

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 $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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.03%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at $3,807,235. This represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 9,844 shares of company stock valued at $2,210,716. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Czech National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 58,880 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $14,196,000 after acquiring an additional 3,808 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.2% in the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 2,735 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $659,000 after purchasing an additional 584 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.1% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,168 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $523,000 after buying an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 41.9% during the 3rd quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 1,859 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $448,000 after buying an additional 549 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exeter Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $201,000. 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.