Beaumont Asset Management L.L.C. Sells 2,260 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Beaumont Asset Management L.L.C. lessened its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 42.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 3,007 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 2,260 shares during the period. Beaumont Asset Management L.L.C.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $682,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vest Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.1% in the fourth quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 237,853 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $53,962,000 after buying an additional 31,141 shares in the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,815 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $412,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Appleton Partners Inc. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 346.7% in the 4th quarter. Appleton Partners Inc. MA now owns 5,141 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,166,000 after acquiring an additional 3,990 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 22.6% during the 4th quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 2,180 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $495,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Keystone Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $72,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total value of $141,196.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,311,211.44. The trade was a 9.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,844 shares of company stock valued at $2,210,716. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX opened at $230.22 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $231.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $234.05. The company has a market cap of $66.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.81%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on BDX. Piper Sandler raised their price objective 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. StockNews.com cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $283.00.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.