Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Northcape Wealth Management LLC

Northcape Wealth Management LLC lowered its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,846 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 44 shares during the period. Northcape Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,401,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Sapient Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $1,295,000. Vest Financial LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.5% in the 4th quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 103,004 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,115,000 after purchasing an additional 22,207 shares during the last quarter. M. Kulyk & Associates LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. M. Kulyk & Associates LLC now owns 16,640 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $4,302,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 69.4% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 15,113 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,685,000 after purchasing an additional 6,190 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 714,114 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $174,122,000 after purchasing an additional 7,790 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Raymond James boosted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Barclays lifted their price objective 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.5 %

BDX stock traded up $1.16 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $234.60. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,624,484 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,365,751. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $239.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $240.93. The company has a market capitalization of $67.78 billion, a PE ratio of 55.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $229.40 and a 12 month high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.98 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Monday, June 10th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. 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 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 dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

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.