5-Star Stocks Poised to Pop: Becton Dickinson

Updated

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, medical-device maker Becton, Dickinson and Co. (NYS: BDX) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at BD's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

BD facts

Headquarters (founded)

Franklin Lakes, N.J. (1897)

Market Cap

$16.3 billion

Industry

Healthcare equipment

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$7.9 billion

Management

CEO Vincent Forlenza (since October 2011)
CFO David Elkins (since December 2008)

Return on Capital (average, past 3 years)

14.4%

Cash/Debt

$2.7 billion / $4.2 billion

Dividend Yield

2.3%

Competitors

Abbott Labs
Baxter International
Covidien


Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 98% of the 1,146 members who have rated BD believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

A couple of months ago, one of those Fools, All-Star msIRA, listed several of BD's positives:

Stable business. Good [return on equity]. Good profit margins. Fairly valued. Good long term growth rate. Plus if the market corrects this will outpermform short term I would guess. And outperform long term also.

If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future. Of course, despite its five-star rating, Becton, Dickinson and Co. may not be your top choice.

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At the time thisarticle was published Fool contributor Brian Pacampara owns no position in any of the companies mentioned. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Becton, Dickinson and Covidien. The Fool owns shares of Abbott. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Fool's disclosure policy always gets a perfect score.

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