Edgestream Partners L.P. Invests $1.26 Million in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 5,534 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,255,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. West Family Investments Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. West Family Investments Inc. now owns 1,175 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $267,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 117.8% during the 4th quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,214 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $729,000 after acquiring an additional 1,738 shares during the period. Callan Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $299,000. EagleClaw Capital Managment LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. EagleClaw Capital Managment LLC now owns 27,785 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $6,304,000 after acquiring an additional 1,990 shares during the period. Finally, E Fund Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 80.3% in the fourth quarter. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,171 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $493,000 after acquiring an additional 967 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX opened at $227.09 on Tuesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $65.21 billion, a PE ratio of 37.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $232.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $232.65.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.83%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on BDX. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted 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, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,807,235. This represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total value of $141,196.47. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,311,211.44. The trade was a 9.72 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 5,423 shares of company stock worth $1,239,780 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.36% 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.