Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $281.40.

Separately, Barclays raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.2 %

BDX opened at $237.14 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $229.40 and a fifty-two week high of $287.32. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $238.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $239.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.23, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.45.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.04 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.86 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 83.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth $25,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.