Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Gap Down After Analyst Downgrade

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $190.00 to $175.00. The stock had previously closed at $207.39, but opened at $165.98. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Becton, Dickinson and Company shares last traded at $168.6950, with a volume of 512,785 shares.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on BDX. Piper Sandler set a $170.00 price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $233.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $184.00 to $157.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Monday. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.75.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 12,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,509,228.70. The trade was a 11.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In the last three months, insiders have sold 2,463 shares of company stock valued at $501,530. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Becton, Dickinson and Company

Here are the key news stories impacting Becton, Dickinson and Company this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat street estimates — adjusted EPS $2.91 vs. consensus ~ $2.81 and revenue ~$5.25B topped estimates; margins expanded even as y/y adjusted profit declined. BD Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: BD completed the combination of its Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters, executing a strategic portfolio simplification that comes with a planned $4B cash deployment for the newly positioned “New BD.” BD Completes Combination of Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions Business with Waters Corporation
• Positive Sentiment: Insider activity showed bullish option/stock bets recently, which can signal management/insider confidence in the post-transaction path. Becton Dickinson Insiders Placed Bullish Bets
• Neutral Sentiment: New analyst coverage from Barclays: started coverage with an “Overweight” rating but set a $202 price target (below recent levels), reflecting mixed views on valuation post-transaction.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company provided FY2026 EPS guidance for the reorganized New BD (EPS $12.35–$12.65) and affirmed revenue growth guidance — the range reflects the accounting and structural effects of the spin-off and cash deployment plans. BD Outlines $12.35–$12.65 EPS Guidance for 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Management cut its annual profit forecast to reflect the sale/spin-off of the biosciences & diagnostics unit — that reduction materially lowers FY26 EPS vs. prior consensus and is the main driver of the negative market reaction. Becton Dickinson cuts annual profit forecast (Reuters)
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares fell after the print — investors focused on the lowered FY26 EPS outlook and the impact of the transaction, which overshadowed the underlying beat and margin improvement. Shares fall as guidance overshadows beat

Institutional Trading of Becton, Dickinson and Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in 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 valued at $401,000 after buying an additional 877 shares during the period. RiverGlades Family Offices LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at about $344,000. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 88.2% in the third quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,794 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,084,000 after purchasing an additional 2,715 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at $650,000. Finally, Veritas Asset Management LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 40.6% during the 3rd quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 2,954,898 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $553,068,000 after acquiring an additional 852,854 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $200.14 and its 200-day moving average is $192.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $48.07 billion, a PE ratio of 28.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.15 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.42% and a net margin of 7.68%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.43 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be issued a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 72.04%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, January 27th that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to purchase up to 0% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.