Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX Shares Acquired by Oak Thistle LLC

Oak Thistle LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 426.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 25,259 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 20,462 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for approximately 0.7% of Oak Thistle LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 5th largest position. Oak Thistle LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $4,902,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of BDX. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $401,000 after buying an additional 877 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 20.4% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 7,977 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,827,000 after purchasing an additional 1,354 shares during the last quarter. United Bank grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 23.9% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 5,149 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $887,000 after purchasing an additional 993 shares during the last quarter. CW Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.2% in the second quarter. CW Advisors LLC now owns 5,779 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $996,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.3% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 275,069 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $47,381,000 after purchasing an additional 16,383 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE:BDX opened at $154.87 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market cap of $44.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 11.20 and a beta of 0.29. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $127.59 and a 52 week high of $187.35. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $173.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $186.01.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.81 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $4.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.43 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. 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 Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were issued a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.52%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, January 27th that authorizes the company to buyback $10.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to buy up to 0% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $170.00 price target (down from $205.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $191.62.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 36,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,713,291.43. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.46, for a total transaction of $334,010.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 12,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,509,228.70. This trade represents a 11.75% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 2,713 shares of company stock valued at $536,881. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.