Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Acquired by Machina Capital S.A.S.

Machina Capital S.A.S. grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 597.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 7,061 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,049 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up about 1.1% of Machina Capital S.A.S.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Machina Capital S.A.S.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,722,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Sapient Capital LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,295,000. Vest Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.5% in the fourth quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 103,004 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,115,000 after acquiring an additional 22,207 shares during the last quarter. M. Kulyk & Associates LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.1% in the third quarter. M. Kulyk & Associates LLC now owns 16,640 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $4,302,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 69.4% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 15,113 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,685,000 after purchasing an additional 6,190 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 714,114 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $174,122,000 after purchasing an additional 7,790 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $0.57 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $237.15. 1,090,654 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,403,292. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.45. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $238.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $240.12. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $229.40 and a 1-year high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $5.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.04 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.86 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.60%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 83.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $281.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.