NEOS Investment Management LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

NEOS Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 32.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 16,939 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,136 shares during the quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,843,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 over the last three months. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $228.76 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $232.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $231.82. The company has a market capitalization of $65.68 billion, a PE ratio of 38.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released 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%. On average, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.82%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.