BD Stock Slips in Pre-Market Despite Q4 Earnings Beat, Margins Up

Core Insights - Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.96 for Q4 fiscal 2025, marking a 3.9% increase year over year and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1% [1][9] - The company's revenues for Q4 reached $5.89 billion, reflecting an 8.3% year-over-year growth, also surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.04% [3][4] Financial Performance - Full-year adjusted EPS was $14.40, a 9.6% increase from the previous year [2] - Q4 GAAP EPS was $1.72, showing a significant increase of 24.6% from the same quarter last year [1] - Gross profit for Q4 increased by 12.5% to $2.79 billion, with gross margin expanding by 176 basis points to 47.5% [11] Revenue Breakdown - BD Medical segment reported revenues of $3.16 billion for Q4, up 11.2% year over year [6] - BD Life Sciences segment generated $1.37 billion in revenues, reflecting a 2.1% increase year over year [7] - BD Interventional segment also reported $1.37 billion in revenues, up 8.5% from the previous year [8] Geographic Performance - U.S. revenues improved by 9.8% year over year to $3.42 billion [10] - International revenues reached $2.47 billion, up 6.4% year over year [10] Margin and Expense Analysis - Adjusted operating profit for Q4 was $1.11 billion, a 19.5% increase from the previous year [12] - Selling and administrative expenses rose by 8.8% to $1.37 billion, while R&D expenses increased by 6.6% to $322 million [11] Financial Position - At the end of Q4, cash and cash equivalents totaled $649 million, down from $757 million in the previous quarter [13] - Total debt decreased slightly to $19.18 billion from $19.34 billion [13] Future Guidance - For fiscal 2026, BDX projects revenue growth above low single-digit on a reported basis and anticipates adjusted EPS in the range of $14.75-$15.05 [15] Recent Developments - The company launched the BD Incada Connected Care Platform and formed a pharmacy automation partnership with Henry Ford Health [17] - BD Life Sciences announced a new self-collection solution for HPV testing in markets outside the U.S. [17] - However, there were challenges due to lower market demand for vaccine products and ongoing market dynamics in China [18]