BD Board Declares Dividend Increase and Authorizes Additional Share R...( FRANKLIN LAKES N.J. Nov. 25 /- The B...),Health

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Nov. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --The Board of Directors of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX) has declared a quarterly dividend of 33 cents per common share, an increase of 4.5 cents per share or 15.8% from the previous quarter. The dividend will be payable on January 2, 2009 to holders of record on December 12, 2008. At the current rate, the annual dividend for fiscal 2009 would be $1.32 cents per share.

The Board has also authorized BD to repurchase up to 10 million of its common shares. BD plans to use the shares for general corporate purposes. This authorization is in addition to the approximately 5.9 million shares that remained available at September 30, 2008 under a 10 million-share repurchase authorization in July 2007. On September 30, 2008, BD had approximately 243 million common shares outstanding.

"This marks the 36th consecutive year of BD dividend increases. We continue to generate strong cash flow, allowing us to return significant dollars to our shareholders while continuing to make investments for the future," said Edward J. Ludwig, BD Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our strategy of increasing sustainable revenue growth through innovation, complemented by driving operating effectiveness and productivity, is working, and our shareholders continue to benefit."

About BD

BD is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The Company is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. BD's capabilities are instrumental in
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