Gamco Investors INC. ET AL Sells 55 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lessened its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,106 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 55 shares during the quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,293,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on BDX shares. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price objective on 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. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $275.71.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 1.0 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $198.50 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $193.03 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $221.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $228.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market cap of $56.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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, equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, Director Jeffrey William Henderson bought 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $233.62 per share, for a total transaction of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 8,015 shares in the company, valued at $1,872,464.30. This represents a 23.02 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total value of $94,497.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $964,107.36. The trade was a 8.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,078 shares of company stock worth $915,986. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.