Becton, Dickinson and Company

(New York Stock Exchange)
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Somewhat Bearish -25

Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC Reduces Stake in Becton, Dickinson ...

AI-generated analysis

πŸ“‰ Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC reduced its BDX holdings by 30.6% in Q1, selling 8,514 shares while retaining a $2.8 million position.

πŸ“ˆ Assetmark Inc. significantly increased its stake by 31.2%, purchasing an additional 84,539 shares to own a total of 355,449 shares valued at $55.9 million.

πŸ“‰ John G Ullman & Associates raised its position by 98.2% in the first quarter, adding 2,675 shares to its portfolio.

πŸ“‰ Weiss Ratings downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a 'hold (c-)' to a 'sell (d+)' rating on May 11th.

πŸ“‰ TD Cowen lowered its price target from $189.00 to $163.00 and maintained a 'hold' rating in late April.

πŸ“‰ Piper Sandler reduced its price target to $159.00 with a 'neutral' rating following an April 17th report.

πŸ“‰ Barclays raised its price target to $204.00 and assigned an 'overweight' rating on May 11th.

πŸ’° BDX paid a quarterly dividend of $1.05 per share, yielding 2.7% annually based on the record date of June 9th.

⚠️ The company's dividend payout ratio is 106.33%, indicating the dividend exceeds current earnings per share.

πŸ“‰ CEO Thomas E. Polen, Jr. sold 2,764 shares for $404,511 on June 1st under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

πŸ“‰ EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,100 shares for $160,226 on June 24th, reducing his personal stake by 7.71%.

πŸ“Š The stock trades at a PEG ratio of 11.19 with a market capitalization of $43.57 billion.

πŸ“‰ BDX shares opened at $158.14, trading below its 200-day simple moving average of $166.39.

πŸ₯ The company's operations span medical devices, life sciences research tools, and interventional technologies.

πŸ“Š Institutional investors collectively own 86.97% of the company's outstanding stock.

Bullish Signals
  • Assetmark Inc. significantly increased its investment in BDX by 31.2%, adding over $5 million to its position, signaling institutional confidence.
  • Barclays raised its price target to $204 and maintained an 'overweight' rating, suggesting potential upside from current levels.
  • The company maintains a substantial market capitalization of $43.57 billion and a strong dividend yield of 2.7%.
Risk Factors
  • Weiss Ratings downgraded the stock to a 'sell (d+)' rating, reflecting concerns about valuation or growth prospects.
  • Multiple analysts including TD Cowen, Piper Sandler, and Goldman Sachs lowered their price targets in recent months.
  • The dividend payout ratio of 106.33% indicates the company is paying out more than its current earnings, which may be unsustainable without cash reserves.
  • The stock is trading below its 200-day moving average of $166.39 and recently hit a 12-month low of $127.59.
Full Analysis
Institutional investors have made mixed moves in Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) during the first quarter of 2026. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake by 30.6%, selling 8,514 shares to hold a remaining position worth $2.8 million. Conversely, several other firms increased their exposure, with Assetmark Inc. boosting its holdings by 31.2% to own over 355,000 shares valued at $55.9 million, and John G Ullman & Associates raising its stake nearly 100%. Analyst sentiment remains largely neutral to cautious regarding the medical technology giant. Weiss Ratings downgraded BDX from a 'hold' to a 'sell', while TD Cowen and Piper Sandler lowered their price targets to $163 and $159 respectively, citing valuation concerns. However, Barclays maintained an 'overweight' rating with a slightly raised target of $204. The consensus rating among seven buy-side analysts is currently 'Hold' with an average price target of $180.29. Financial metrics indicate the stock is trading below its 200-day moving average of $166.39, having recently hit a 12-month low of $127.59. The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $1.05 per share, resulting in an annualized yield of 2.7%. However, the payout ratio stands at 106.33%, suggesting the dividend is being funded from cash reserves rather than current earnings. Insider trading activity shows recent sales by CEO Thomas E. Polen, Jr. and EVP Michael David Garrison under pre-arranged plans. Becton, Dickinson and Company operates as a global leader in medical devices, life sciences research tools, and interventional technologies. Its product portfolio includes single-use items like syringes and needles, as well as complex systems for infusion therapy and vascular access. Despite the mixed institutional activity and neutral analyst consensus, the company maintains a significant market capitalization of $43.57 billion with a PEG ratio of 11.19.