Avity Investment Management Inc. Purchases 41,206 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Avity Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 24.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 211,670 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 41,206 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for 2.4% of Avity Investment Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Avity Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $40,326,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 17.1% during the 2nd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 96,211 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $14,715,000 after purchasing an additional 14,077 shares in the last quarter. Northside Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 18.3% in the second quarter. Northside Capital Management LLC now owns 61,324 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $9,280,000 after buying an additional 9,494 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.0% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 44,032 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $6,923,000 after buying an additional 11,414 shares during the period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,567,000. Finally, Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter worth $3,353,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $0.94 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $183.69. 1,615,713 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,494,176. The stock has a market cap of $50.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.33, a P/E/G ratio of 12.15 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a 50 day moving average of $181.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $162.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $127.59 and a fifty-two week high of $193.07.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.14 by $0.09. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 4.52%.The business had revenue of $4.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.89 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.68 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.620-12.720 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 9th were paid a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 9th. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 126.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $161.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $161.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $195.00 target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $185.07.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Thomas Polen, Jr. sold 4,152 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.00, for a total value of $768,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 110,163 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,380,155. This represents a 3.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Michael Feld sold 165 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.49, for a total transaction of $31,100.85. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 19,720 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,717,022.80. The trade was a 0.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 6,906 shares of company stock valued at $1,265,855. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company, doing business as BD, is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells devices, diagnostic products and solutions for healthcare providers, researchers and patients. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, the company serves customers in hospitals, laboratories, physician offices, pharmacies and other healthcare settings worldwide.

BD’s Medical segment offers products used for medication delivery and management, including needles, syringes, infusion systems, medication preparation and dispensing technologies, and systems designed to help improve medication safety.