Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX): Today's Featured Health Services Laggard

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Becton Dickinson (BDX) pushed the Health Services industry lower today making it today's featured Health Services laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day down 0.2%. By the end of trading, Becton Dickinson fell 83 cents (-1.1%) to $76.40 on average volume. Throughout the day, 1.3 million shares of Becton Dickinson exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of one million shares. The stock ranged in price between $76.24-$77 after having opened the day at $76.88 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $77.23. Other companies within the Health Services industry that declined today were: Uroplasty (UPI), down 12.1%, BSD Medical Corporation (BSDM), down 10.2%, Stereotaxis (STXS), down 8.1%, and CombiMatrix Corporation (CBMX), down 7.5%.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company, a medical technology company, develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents worldwide. The company's BD Medical segment produces medical devices that are used in various healthcare settings. Becton Dickinson has a market cap of $15.86 billion and is part of the health care sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 14.4, equal to the average health services industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 3.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday. Currently there are four analysts that rate Becton Dickinson a buy, five analysts rate it a sell, and eight rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Becton Dickinson as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, growth in earnings per share, notable return on equity, good cash flow from operations and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

• You can view the full Becton Dickinson Ratings Report.

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For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the health services industry could consider Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) while those bearish on the health services industry could consider ProShares Ultra Short Health Care (RXD).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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