Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Gets Price Target Boost from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) had its price objective boosted by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $170.00 to $202.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price indicates a potential downside of 4.84% from the stock’s previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $190.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $161.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $163.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $195.47.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE BDX opened at $212.27 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $137.35 and a 1-year high of $214.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a market capitalization of $58.49 billion, a PE ratio of 51.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 14.26 and a beta of 0.22. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $188.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $170.28.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.07 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $5.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.11 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 5.66% and a return on equity of 14.90%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.96 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 5th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to purchase up to 3.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Michael Feld sold 165 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.49, for a total value of $31,100.85. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 19,720 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,717,022.80. The trade was a 0.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Thomas E. Polen, Jr. sold 4,152 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.00, for a total value of $768,120.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 110,163 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,380,155. This trade represents a 3.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,907 shares of company stock valued at $1,269,128. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pensioenfonds Rail & OV acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $4,157,000. IFG Advisory LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 10,942 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,959,000 after acquiring an additional 967 shares in the last quarter. Trillium Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth about $216,000. Phoenix Financial Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.2% in the third quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 3,671 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $657,000 after acquiring an additional 484 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BankPlus Trust Department lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 79.6% during the third quarter. BankPlus Trust Department now owns 11,730 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,100,000 after purchasing an additional 5,199 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company, commonly known as BD, is a global medical technology company that develops and manufactures products used in healthcare, clinical laboratories and life sciences research. Founded in 1897, the company has a long history of producing medical devices and supplies.

BD’s products include syringes, needles, infusion systems and medication-management technologies, as well as equipment and supplies for collecting and processing clinical specimens. The company also provides diagnostic systems, laboratory instruments and tools used in areas such as cell analysis and biomedical research.

Its offerings serve hospitals, clinics, laboratories, researchers and pharmaceutical companies.