Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Holdings Boosted by Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board

Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 3.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,852,278 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 68,509 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up 4.5% of Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $451,641,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at about $55,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX stock traded down $0.41 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $234.45. 1,202,064 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,411,773. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $238.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $238.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $229.40 and a twelve month high of $287.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.45.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released 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. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.90% and a net margin of 6.76%. The firm had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.86 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Monday, June 10th will be given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. 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 presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $281.40.

Insider Activity

In related 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 in the company, valued at $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.73, for a total transaction of $781,209.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,308 shares in the company, valued at $2,676,942.84. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 8,597 shares of company stock valued at $2,028,786 in the last ninety days. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.