Bank of Nova Scotia Sells 58,079 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Bank of Nova Scotia decreased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 34.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 110,617 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 58,079 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $20,704,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9,056.3% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,232,086 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $979,290,000 after buying an additional 5,174,944 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 32,308,749 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $5,565,182,000 after acquiring an additional 4,305,947 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter valued at approximately $653,377,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 16,974.4% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,579,386 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $272,049,000 after acquiring an additional 1,570,136 shares during the period. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 9,994,408 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,870,653,000 after acquiring an additional 1,208,218 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $160.19 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $189.23 and its 200 day moving average is $189.75. The stock has a market cap of $45.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.13, a P/E/G ratio of 11.55 and a beta of 0.24. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $127.59 and a 1-year high of $187.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.81 by $0.10. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.76% and a net margin of 8.01%.The business had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.43 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.350-12.650 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be paid a $1.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 68.52%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 953 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total value of $174,027.33. Following the transaction, the director owned 36,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,713,291.43. The trade was a 2.53% 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, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,610 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.46, for a total value of $334,010.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 12,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,509,228.70. This trade represents a 11.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,416 shares of company stock valued at $674,693. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on BDX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $190.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays initiated coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $184.00 to $157.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $195.46.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Profile

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.