Humankind Investments LLC Buys 4,337 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Humankind Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 53.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,389 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 4,337 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for approximately 0.5% of Humankind Investments LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest position. Humankind Investments LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,134,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 32,308,749 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $5,565,182,000 after acquiring an additional 4,305,947 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 12,575,351 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,880,510,000 after purchasing an additional 448,644 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 59.2% in the 2nd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 8,786,190 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,513,421,000 after purchasing an additional 3,268,478 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 24.4% in the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 8,514,446 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,466,613,000 after buying an additional 1,670,590 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.8% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,723,702 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,153,157,000 after buying an additional 244,199 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total value of $38,317.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 35,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,324,389.28. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 407 shares of company stock worth $73,922. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $200.82 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $162.29 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $57.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.45, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.25. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $188.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $184.51.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.68% and a return on equity of 16.42%. As a group, 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 company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th will be issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. 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. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 72.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $211.00 to $202.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $197.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $204.91.

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.