Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on BDX. Barclays increased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $221.59 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $230.78 and a 200-day moving average of $231.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $63.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 597 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.51, for a total transaction of $141,196.47. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,544 shares in the company, valued at $1,311,211.44. The trade was a 9.72 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,807,235. The trade was a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.4% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 265 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.0% during the first quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 4,298 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $984,000 after acquiring an additional 913 shares in the last quarter. Park National Corp OH raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.9% during the first quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 38,256 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $8,763,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089 shares during the period. Marcum Wealth LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 30.6% in the 1st quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 3,395 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $778,000 after purchasing an additional 796 shares during the period. Finally, Rempart Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Rempart Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,997 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $19,011,000 after purchasing an additional 615 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.