Graypoint LLC Decreases Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Graypoint LLC reduced its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 25.8% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,714 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,294 shares during the period. Graypoint LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $905,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of BDX. RVW Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $52,000. Vest Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.5% during the 4th quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 103,004 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,115,000 after acquiring an additional 22,207 shares during the period. M. Kulyk & Associates LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.1% during 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 acquiring an additional 809 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 69.4% during 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 acquiring an additional 6,190 shares during the period. Finally, BKM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,043,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 2.3 %

Shares of BDX stock traded down $5.44 during trading on Friday, hitting $235.17. 1,028,447 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,200,413. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $240.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $243.34. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $229.85 and a 52-week high of $287.32.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 90.05%.

Insider Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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.