Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Private Advisor Group LLC

Private Advisor Group LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 2.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 19,296 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 552 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $4,705,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Dover Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.7% in the third quarter. Dover Advisors LLC now owns 2,702 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $699,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Mendel Money Management boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Mendel Money Management now owns 1,536 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $397,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 818 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $211,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 6,303 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,537,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, S.A. Mason LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. S.A. Mason LLC now owns 1,420 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $346,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company 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 $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the firm’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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $235.00 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $229.40 and a 52 week high of $287.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market cap of $67.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.45. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $238.16 and a 200-day moving average of $239.93.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results 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 business had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.04 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.86 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS 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 issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. 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 83.70%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company 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.