Analysts Set Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) PT at $283.50

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Buy” by the six analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $283.50.

Several research analysts have weighed in on BDX shares. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Citigroup raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX opened at $227.66 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.33, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.74. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $249.89. The business has a fifty day moving average of $230.80 and a 200 day moving average of $233.45.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.42 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.03%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total value of $990,787.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. The trade was a 15.55 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth $767,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 79.0% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,986,543 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $720,089,000 after buying an additional 1,317,723 shares in the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.3% during the third quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 561,040 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $135,267,000 after buying an additional 12,845 shares during the last quarter. Benson Investment Management Company Inc. grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.2% during the 3rd quarter. Benson Investment Management Company Inc. now owns 22,315 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $5,380,000 after buying an additional 2,602 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swedbank AB increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 150,838 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,367,000 after acquiring an additional 2,729 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

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.