Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX Stock: Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH Grows Stake

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,112,958 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 5,109 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company comprises 1.0% of Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $199,672,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. First Pacific Financial lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 14.8% in the third quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 4,736 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $876,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 144.2% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 210 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 120.8% during the 3rd quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 9,148 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,637,000 after purchasing an additional 5,005 shares during the period. Focus Financial Network Inc. raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.1% in the 3rd quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 3,391 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $607,000 after buying an additional 805 shares in the last quarter. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.6% in the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 6,456 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,156,000 after acquiring an additional 775 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Roland Goette sold 2,438 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.84, for a total value of $440,887.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 14,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,686,559.04. This trade represents a 14.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael Feld sold 165 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.49, for a total transaction of $31,100.85. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 19,720 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,717,022.80. The trade was a 0.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,906 shares of company stock valued at $1,265,855. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX opened at $188.83 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $52.03 billion, a PE ratio of 14.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.63 and a beta of 0.21. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $183.41 and a 200-day moving average of $163.23. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $127.59 and a 52-week high of $193.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.87.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.14 by $0.09. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 4.52%. The business had revenue of $4.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.89 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.68 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.620-12.720 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 9th were given a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 126.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on BDX shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $195.00 price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $161.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $210.00 price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $185.07.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company, doing business as BD, is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells devices, diagnostic products and solutions for healthcare providers, researchers and patients. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, the company serves customers in hospitals, laboratories, physician offices, pharmacies and other healthcare settings worldwide.

BD’s Medical segment offers products used for medication delivery and management, including needles, syringes, infusion systems, medication preparation and dispensing technologies, and systems designed to help improve medication safety.