Becton Dickinson 4Q profit rises 9 percent

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. - Medical-device maker Becton Dickinson and Co. said Wednesday fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose 9 percent on stronger overseas sales and higher revenue from each of its segments.

For the period ended Sept. 30, Becton Dickinson earned $282.2 million, or $1.12 per share, up from $259.8 million, or $1.03 per share, a year earlier.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected profit of $1.11 per share.

Revenue rose 11 percent to $1.84 billion.

Revenue for the BD Medical unit rose 10 percent to $953 million, as pharmaceutical systems and diabetes care revenue increased. BD Diagnostics revenue grew 11 percent to $553 million on sales of safety-engineered devices, infectious disease testing systems, and cancer diagnostics. BD Biosciences revenue rose 16 percent to $329 million from greater demand for clinical and research products.

The majority of revenue came from overseas and rose 19 percent to $1.02 billion, with currency exchange benefits making up nearly half the increase. U.S. sales rose 3 percent to $813 million.

For the full-year, the company earned $1.13 billion, or $4.46 per share, compared with profit of $890 million, or $3.49 per share, a year prior. Revenue rose 13 percent to $7.16 billion.

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