Becton moves beyond COVID

Article Excerpt

BECTON DICKINSON & CO. $277 is a buy. The company (New York symbol BDX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 283.9 million; Market cap: $78.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.2; Dividend yield: 1.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bd.com) makes a variety of medical devices, including stents, catheters, needles, incontinence devices and surgical tools. In its fiscal 2023 third quarter, ended June 30, 2023, Becton’s revenue rose 5.1%, to $4.88 billion from $4.64 billion a year earlier. If you factor out declining demand for COVID-related products and currency rates, revenue improved 6.7%. Earnings rose 11.3%, to $2.96 a share from $2.66. Factoring out exchange rates, per-share earnings gained 15.0%. For fiscal 2023, Becton expects its revenue will improve to $19.3 billion from its earlier forecast of $19.25 billion. It should also earn between $12.10 and $12.32 a share. The stock trades at 22.7 times the midpoint of that range. That’s an attractive multiple, particularly as the company devotes 6% of revenue to research. Its $3.64 dividend…