Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC Sells 2,250 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 79,061 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 2,250 shares during the quarter. Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $17,937,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,428 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. South Dakota Investment Council increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 38.5% in the fourth quarter. South Dakota Investment Council now owns 10,783 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,446,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $69,000. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $312,000. Finally, MONECO Advisors LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 22.7% in the fourth quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC now owns 1,491 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on BDX. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays lifted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $278.29.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were 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 approximately $3,807,235. The trade was a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 10,544 shares of company stock valued at $2,370,309. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $227.54 on Monday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $218.75 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $232.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $233.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.33 billion, a PE ratio of 37.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

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

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.