Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by ICW Investment Advisors LLC

ICW Investment Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,495 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 75 shares during the quarter. ICW Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,071,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE BDX traded down $0.18 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $234.42. The company had a trading volume of 1,141,250 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,361,278. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $238.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $240.76. The stock has a market cap of $67.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.59, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $229.40 and a 52-week high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.39 by $0.29. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The company had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.73 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.98 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.62%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on BDX. Barclays increased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James increased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.00.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at $1,252,750.61. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the company’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 transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.