Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) to Distribute Quarterly Dividend of $1.06 on December 31st

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, November 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share by the medical instruments supplier on Thursday, December 31st. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 10th. This is a 1.0% increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.05.

Becton, Dickinson and Company has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.1% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 53 consecutive years. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a dividend payout ratio of 28.5% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Becton, Dickinson and Company to earn $14.02 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $4.20 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 30.0%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $212.27 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $188.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $170.28. The stock has a market cap of $58.49 billion, a PE ratio of 15.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 13.39 and a beta of 0.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $137.35 and a 1-year high of $214.88.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.07 by $0.08. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 4.52% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The firm had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.96 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 5th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to purchase up to 3.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Share repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company, commonly known as BD, is a global medical technology company that develops and manufactures products used in healthcare, clinical laboratories and life sciences research. Founded in 1897, the company has a long history of producing medical devices and supplies.

BD’s products include syringes, needles, infusion systems and medication-management technologies, as well as equipment and supplies for collecting and processing clinical specimens. The company also provides diagnostic systems, laboratory instruments and tools used in areas such as cell analysis and biomedical research.

Its offerings serve hospitals, clinics, laboratories, researchers and pharmaceutical companies.