Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Short Interest Update

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 14,558,496 shares, a growth of 117.5% from the January 29th total of 6,692,313 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,879,380 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.8 days. Approximately 5.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Approximately 5.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 3,879,380 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.8 days.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.46, for a total transaction of $334,010.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 12,095 shares in the company, valued at $2,509,228.70. This trade represents a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total transaction of $174,027.33. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 36,763 shares in the company, valued at $6,713,291.43. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 3,416 shares of company stock worth $675,557 in the last three months. 0.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $401,000 after acquiring an additional 877 shares during the last quarter. RiverGlades Family Offices LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter worth about $344,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 71.4% during the third quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,655 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $15,471,000 after purchasing an additional 34,437 shares during the period. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 88.2% in the 3rd quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,794 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,084,000 after purchasing an additional 2,715 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Belpointe Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $650,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of BDX traded down $1.25 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $175.41. The stock had a trading volume of 132,740 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,846,340. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $196.07 and its 200 day moving average is $192.20. The firm has a market cap of $49.95 billion, a PE ratio of 28.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 13.12 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $127.59 and a 1 year high of $187.35.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.10. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.01% and a return on equity of 15.76%. The firm had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.43 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.52%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 27th that authorizes the company to buyback $10.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to purchase up to 0% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $184.00 to $157.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $172.00 target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $233.00 to $232.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $170.00 price objective (down from $205.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $195.46.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells a broad range of medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. BD’s products are used by healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, life science researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to enable safe, effective delivery of care, specimen collection and diagnostic testing. The company’s operations span multiple business areas focused on medical devices, life sciences research tools and interventional technologies.

BD’s product portfolio includes single-use medical devices such as syringes, needles, needlesafety and injection systems, infusion therapy and medication management solutions, as well as vascular access, urology and oncology devices acquired through its interventional business.