Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Everett Harris & Co. CA

Everett Harris & Co. CA lessened its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 573,239 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,023 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up about 2.0% of Everett Harris & Co. CA’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Everett Harris & Co. CA owned 0.20% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $139,773,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $360,000. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. now owns 3,467 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $845,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Northcape Capital Pty Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Northcape Capital Pty Ltd now owns 14,689 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,582,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 19.9% during the 4th quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 13,484 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,288,000 after acquiring an additional 2,237 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFG Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 8,739 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,131,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX traded up $4.65 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $246.53. 839,478 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,481,414. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $229.85 and a 12 month high of $287.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.08. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $238.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $245.05. The firm has a market cap of $71.22 billion, a PE ratio of 58.42, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.98 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th will be given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 7th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on BDX shares. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $310.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 4th. Finally, Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $279.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional.