Natural Investments LLC Invests $484,000 in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Natural Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor purchased 2,136 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $484,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Kennebec Savings Bank bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX opened at $225.15 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.40, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $251.99. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $232.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $232.57.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities analysts predict 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 has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.85%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 69.10%.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. The trade was a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total value of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 36,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,215,163.67. The trade was a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 5,423 shares of company stock worth $1,239,780. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $278.29.

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.