Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Cut to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report published on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

BDX has been the topic of several other reports. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $202.00 target price on the stock. Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and set a $170.00 price objective (down from $205.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $195.46.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of BDX stock opened at $175.95 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.25. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $127.59 and a 12-month high of $185.02. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $198.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $192.20.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released 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 business had revenue of $5.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.76% and a net margin of 8.01%.The company’s revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.43 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be paid a $1.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.52%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.46, for a total value of $334,010.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 12,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,509,228.70. This represents a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 2,463 shares of company stock worth $501,530 over the last ninety days. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 285.3% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 131 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 256.8% during the 3rd quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 132 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Steph & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 95.6% in the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 474.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 155 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Becton, Dickinson and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target after a life‑sciences sale update, signaling potential value support if BDx proceeds with portfolio moves. Citi raises Becton Dickinson PT to $198
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies issued a buy, supporting the view that BDx’s portfolio reshaping and product investments can sustain growth. Becton Dickinson Gets a Buy from Jefferies
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen nudged its target higher to $189 (hold), reflecting modest upside from current levels and adding another analyst vote of confidence. TD Cowen adjusts Becton Dickinson PT to $189
• Neutral Sentiment: Company Q4 review: management says portfolio reshaping and product investments offset tariff headwinds — useful context for earnings quality but not an immediate directional catalyst. BDX Q4 Deep Dive: Portfolio Reshaping and Product Investments Offset Tariff Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut BDX from “hold” to “strong sell,” a notable downgrade that likely pressured sentiment and contributed to the share weakness. Zacks Research downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: AmericanBankingNews reports Citigroup lowered a prior target (headline shows a cut to $232), adding further mixed signals from the sell‑side. Citigroup Lowers Becton Dickinson PT to $232
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan and Wells Fargo issued pessimistic forecasts in separate notes, increasing analyst pressure and downside risk in the near term. JPMorgan pessimistic forecast Wells Fargo pessimistic forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage flow drove a gap‑down headline after the analyst activity, reflecting short‑term selling pressure from downgrades and mixed guidance expectations. Shares gap down on analyst downgrade

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.