Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Bought by Bellevue Group AG

Bellevue Group AG grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 7.1% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 415,700 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 27,632 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up about 1.6% of Bellevue Group AG’s holdings, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Bellevue Group AG’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $102,865,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. 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 increased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $274.00 target price for the company. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.13.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $4.52 on Friday, hitting $237.30. 1,384,408 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,257,695. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $286.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market cap of $68.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.27, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.42. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $232.24 and its 200 day moving average is $236.14.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $5.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.04 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.86 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 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 Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 83.70%.

Insider Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.73, for a total value of $781,209.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,676,942.84. 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 insiders.

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.