Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Linscomb Wealth Inc.

Linscomb Wealth Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 5.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,370 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 507 shares during the period. Linscomb Wealth Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,319,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.9 %

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $4.52 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $237.30. 1,384,408 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,257,695. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $232.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $236.16. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $218.75 and a fifty-two week high of $286.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.27, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.20. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The business had revenue of $5.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.86 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.60%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total transaction of $71,793.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $472,876.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.70, for a total value of $781,110.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,608 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,457,713.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total value of $71,793.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $472,876.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,615 shares of company stock worth $2,033,381. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on BDX. Barclays boosted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $274.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.13.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.