SFE Investment Counsel Has $6.43 Million Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

SFE Investment Counsel trimmed its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,385 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 723 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for 1.7% of SFE Investment Counsel’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. SFE Investment Counsel’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,433,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth $40,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on BDX shares. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE:BDX traded down $0.30 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $231.91. The stock had a trading volume of 420,802 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,400,148. 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 cap of $67.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.04, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.43. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $240.34 and its 200 day simple moving average is $242.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.08.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.73 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.98 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.64%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 90.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.