AlphaQuest LLC Makes New Investment in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 4,991 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $934,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Argent Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Argent Advisors Inc. now owns 5,084 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $952,000 after buying an additional 435 shares during the last quarter. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.1% during the third quarter. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 18,311 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,427,000 after buying an additional 543 shares during the period. SYM FINANCIAL Corp acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at about $235,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1,920.5% during the 3rd quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,475 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 1,402 shares during the period. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 71.3% in the third quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,189 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $597,000 after purchasing an additional 1,327 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $202.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Wall Street Zen lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $197.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $209.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $202.29 on Tuesday. 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 cap of $57.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.25. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $162.29 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $198.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $191.57.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.92 by $0.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.68% and a return on equity of 16.42%. The company had revenue of $5.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.91 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.81 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.750-15.050 EPS. Research analysts anticipate 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be given a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 72.04%.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total value of $38,317.86. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 35,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,324,389.28. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company 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 owned 12,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,509,228.70. The trade was a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 2,680 shares of company stock valued at $539,848 in the last three months. 0.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

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.