Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX Stake Lifted by Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL

Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 3.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,783 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the quarter. Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,513,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SFE Investment Counsel increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.3% during the 2nd quarter. SFE Investment Counsel now owns 27,970 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $4,818,000 after purchasing an additional 2,619 shares during the period. Nuance Investments LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 296.4% during the second quarter. Nuance Investments LLC now owns 251,889 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $43,388,000 after buying an additional 188,338 shares in the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.8% during the second quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 609 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $105,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Winthrop Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter worth about $179,000. Finally, Midwest Trust Co acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at about $7,989,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total transaction of $38,317.86. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 35,816 shares in the company, valued at $6,324,389.28. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total transaction of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at $4,167,375. This trade represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,249 shares of company stock valued at $231,358. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $177.88 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $50.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.25. The company’s fifty day moving average is $186.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $182.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $162.29 and a 12-month high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 7.51%. Equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th will be given a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 71.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on BDX shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Argus increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $224.00 to $210.00 in a research report on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $257.00 to $215.00 in a research report on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.27.

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.