Nov 6 (Reuters) - Medical device maker Becton Dickinson ( BDX )

on Thursday topped Wall Street estimates for

fourth-quarter adjusted profit and forecast 2026 earnings

slightly above expectations.

However, in a conference call, the company's executives

warned of persistent headwinds in China, softer vaccine demand

and a ramp-down in its Alaris infusion pumps after record

installations.

Becton, which makes medical supplies such as syringes,

needles, IV catheters and devices that help safely deliver

medicines, projected 2026 adjusted profit between $14.75 and

$15.05 per share.

Analysts on average were expecting $14.85, according to

data compiled by LSEG.

Despite steady demand for drug delivery products, RBC

Capital Markets analyst Shagun Singh described the 2026 profit

forecast as "underwhelming" while flagging pressures in its

biosciences segment.

The China market has been "difficult to really call" and the

company still expects about 80% of its portfolio there to be

under volume-based procurement (VBP) by fiscal 2026, CEO Thomas

Polen said.

After the planned Waters separation, China will be

roughly 4% of its revenue, easing year-over-year comparisons and

reducing exposure to the Asian country.

"We've built in a prudent approach to China and what

we've seen in terms of VBP...we haven't built any improvements in

the macro environment into our outlook,"

Beijing's VBP policies prompted the government to

purchase medical supplies in high volumes for cheaper prices.

The

planned sale

of its biosciences unit to Waters Corp is expected to help

Becton exit a tariff-sensitive segment, which is mostly reliant

on pharmaceutical customers and government funding amid a

funding crunch under President Donald Trump.

Becton's adjusted profit came in at $3.96 per share in

the quarter ended September 30, topping estimates of $3.92.

Its quarterly revenue was $5.89 billion, slightly below

expectations of $5.90 billion.