Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Price Target Lowered to $255.00 at Citigroup

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) had its price target lowered by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $260.00 to $255.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Citigroup’s price target points to a potential upside of 13.33% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $274.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.14.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE BDX opened at $225.00 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market cap of $65.03 billion, a PE ratio of 49.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $233.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $237.02. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The firm had revenue of $5.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.86 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.70, for a total value of $781,110.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,608 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,457,713.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.70, for a total transaction of $781,110.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,608 shares in the company, valued at $3,457,713.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 8,615 shares of company stock valued at $2,033,381 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter valued at $35,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.