Short Interest in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Increases By 5.0%

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,930,000 shares, an increase of 5.0% from the March 15th total of 2,790,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,430,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.0 days. Approximately 1.0% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $232.26 on Thursday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $229.40 and a one year high of $287.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $240.34 and a 200 day simple moving average of $242.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.04, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.43.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The business’s revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.98 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.64%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 90.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on BDX. Raymond James upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth approximately $114,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 11.3% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,923 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $778,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.8% in the 1st quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,383 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.0% during the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 504 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $134,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 26.0% in the first quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 1,346 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $358,000 after buying an additional 278 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 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.