Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $205.40.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on BDX shares. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $200.00 price target (up previously from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Wednesday. Argus raised their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a report on Monday, September 15th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Thursday, September 25th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $211.00 price objective on the stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $189.06 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $54.19 billion, a PE ratio of 34.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $163.33 and a 52-week high of $251.99. The company’s 50 day moving average is $189.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $186.61.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.50 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 7.51%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.50 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 8th were issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 74.82%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total transaction of $213,643.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This trade represents a 19.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total value of $171,937.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at $4,167,375. This trade represents a 3.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 3,023 shares of company stock worth $562,036 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 341.4% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

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.