Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. Has $3.73 Million Stock Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 15,973 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,733,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $235.56 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $269.52. The stock has a market cap of $68.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The business’s 50 day moving average is $234.58 and its 200-day moving average is $235.73.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.19. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.49% and a net margin of 7.13%. The company had revenue of $4.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.96 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 9th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup cut their target price 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. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated 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 on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $279.50.

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.