Close Asset Management Ltd Sells 395,644 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Close Asset Management Ltd lessened its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 86.6% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 61,229 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 395,644 shares during the period. Close Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $11,459,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 32,455,790 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $6,074,750,000 after buying an additional 147,041 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.5% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 9,150,584 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,712,715,000 after acquiring an additional 636,138 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 59.2% in the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 8,786,190 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,513,421,000 after acquiring an additional 3,268,478 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,723,702 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,153,157,000 after acquiring an additional 244,199 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter worth about $653,377,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 2.5%

Shares of BDX opened at $176.49 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $127.59 and a 12 month high of $187.35. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $196.07 and its 200-day moving average is $192.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.25 billion, a PE ratio of 28.79, a P/E/G ratio of 13.12 and a beta of 0.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.10. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.76% and a net margin of 8.01%.The business had revenue of $5.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.43 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 27th that allows the company to buyback $10.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to buy up to 0% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be given a $1.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.52%.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.46, for a total transaction of $334,010.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 12,095 shares in the company, valued at $2,509,228.70. This represents a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total transaction of $174,027.33. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 36,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,713,291.43. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,416 shares of company stock valued at $675,557. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays assumed coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $202.00 price target for the company. Bank of America lifted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $195.46.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells a broad range of medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. BD’s products are used by healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, life science researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to enable safe, effective delivery of care, specimen collection and diagnostic testing. The company’s operations span multiple business areas focused on medical devices, life sciences research tools and interventional technologies.

BD’s product portfolio includes single-use medical devices such as syringes, needles, needlesafety and injection systems, infusion therapy and medication management solutions, as well as vascular access, urology and oncology devices acquired through its interventional business.