Becton, Dickinson and Company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.06 a share and authorized repurchases of up to 10 million shares, extending shareholder returns while leaving purchases to management’s discretion.
The 1% increase marks BD’s 55th consecutive fiscal year with a higher dividend, the company said in its Nov. 5 announcement. BD said the increase keeps it in the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, whose members have recorded at least 25 consecutive years of dividend increases.
The $1.06 payment is due Dec. 31 to shareholders of record Dec. 10. BD gave an indicated annual dividend rate of $4.24 per share.
The new authorization adds to any shares still available under an earlier 2026 program. BD’s Form 10-Q reported that 8.3 million shares remained unused under that authorization as of June 30. The Nov. 5 announcement did not give an updated balance. Management will decide the timing, number and method of any purchases; the company may buy shares on the open market, through private negotiations or by other means.
BD reported $3.605 billion in net cash from continuing operating activities for fiscal 2026, the year ended Sept. 30, up 30% from the previous year. Free cash flow rose 42.5% to $2.933 billion. BD identifies free cash flow as a non-GAAP measure.
The company repurchased $2.433 billion in common stock and paid $1.161 billion in dividends during fiscal 2026. In fiscal 2025, it repurchased $1 billion in common stock and paid $1.196 billion in dividends. The company’s reported totals cover its past activity; the announcement did not estimate the cost of the new authorization.
BD Chairman, CEO and President Tom Polen said the decisions reflected confidence in the company’s long-term outlook and a commitment to creating value through its New BD strategy and returning capital to shareholders. Shareholders must be on record Dec. 10 to receive the dividend payment scheduled for Dec. 31.
