Xponance Inc. Reduces Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Xponance Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 41,756 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 6,292 shares during the quarter. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $7,815,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% during 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 acquiring an additional 147,041 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted 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 valued at $1,712,715,000 after purchasing an additional 636,138 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 59.2% during 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 purchasing an additional 3,268,478 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.8% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,723,702 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,153,157,000 after buying an additional 244,199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter worth about $653,377,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.4%

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $176.04 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $127.59 and a 1 year high of $187.35. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $195.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $192.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The stock has a market cap of $50.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.72, a PEG ratio of 12.79 and a beta of 0.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.81 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.15 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 15.76%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.43 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 27th that allows the company to buyback $10.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to repurchase up to 0% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be issued a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 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 Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.46, for a total value of $334,010.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 12,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,509,228.70. The trade was a 11.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total value of $174,027.33. Following the transaction, the director owned 36,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,713,291.43. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 3,491 shares of company stock worth $689,195 over the last quarter. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $170.00 price objective (down from $205.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $172.00 price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $233.00 to $232.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average 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.