Becton Dickinson price target lowered to $278 from $312 at Barclays

Barclays analyst Matt Miksic lowered the firm’s price target on Becton Dickinson (BDX) to $278 from $312 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm says its 2025 medical technology outlook “hinges heavily” on factors like inflation, interest rates, surgical volumes and a range of policy actions under consideration by the new U.S. administration. It remains “generally bullish” on the fundamentals of most end markets in its coverage universe. Utilization appears to be ending the year at a “healthy clip,” and unemployment remains at historic lows, which is favorable for continued healthcare utilization and surgical procedure growth, the analyst tells investors in a research note. However, Barclays believes macro factors could have greater impact on stock performance than fundamentals, at least in the very near term.