Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Reaches New 52-Week High – What’s Next?

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) shares hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $185.45 and last traded at $184.2270, with a volume of 489075 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $182.47.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on BDX shares. Citigroup cut their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $233.00 to $232.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $172.00 price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $197.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $195.46.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.6%

The firm has a market cap of $52.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 13.44 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $197.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $192.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.15 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.76% and a net margin of 8.01%.Becton, Dickinson and Company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.43 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 68.52%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 27th that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 million in outstanding 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 Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total transaction of $174,027.33. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 36,763 shares in the company, valued at $6,713,291.43. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.46, for a total value of $334,010.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 12,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,509,228.70. The trade was a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 3,416 shares of company stock valued at $675,557 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Becton, Dickinson and Company

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $401,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares during the period. RiverGlades Family Offices LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter worth $344,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 71.4% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,655 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $15,471,000 after buying an additional 34,437 shares during the period. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 88.2% during the third quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,794 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,084,000 after acquiring an additional 2,715 shares during the period. Finally, Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth about $650,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.