** Medtech company Becton Dickinson's BDX.N shares rise 1.80% to $252.06 premarket
** Activist investor Starboard Value has taken a stake in BDX and is pushing the company to sell its life sciences unit, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter
** The size of Starboard's stake is unclear, the report said
** The hedge fund has met company's management team and sent a letter to the board imploring the company to sell the unit, which makes products used in clinical and research laboratories, according to the report
** BDX and Starboard did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment
** Stock had fallen ~7 in 2024
(Reporting by Sneha S K)
((Sneha.SK@thomsonreuters.com;))