Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) have earned an average rating of “Buy” from the seven analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $283.00.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on BDX. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Raymond James reduced their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Citigroup raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $224.00 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.17. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $235.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $234.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.74 billion, a PE ratio of 37.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $249.89.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.42 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be given a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.86%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.97%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 30.2% in the first quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,051 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,735,000 after acquiring an additional 2,565 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 225.9% in the 1st quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 7,775 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,924,000 after purchasing an additional 5,389 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 380.8% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 58,923 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $14,580,000 after purchasing an additional 46,668 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.6% during the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 280,193 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $69,334,000 after purchasing an additional 37,851 shares during the period. Finally, M&G Plc raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.9% in the second quarter. M&G Plc now owns 709,259 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $165,967,000 after buying an additional 6,052 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.