Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by SOL Capital Management CO

SOL Capital Management CO trimmed its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 41.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,818 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,300 shares during the period. SOL Capital Management CO’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $412,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 79.0% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,986,543 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $720,089,000 after buying an additional 1,317,723 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.0% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,844,566 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $647,082,000 after acquiring an additional 673,568 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.4% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,365,554 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,293,635,000 after acquiring an additional 460,440 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth approximately $108,243,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 62.2% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,107,317 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $266,974,000 after purchasing an additional 424,487 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total transaction of $139,741.14. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,217 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,113,949.51. The trade was a 4.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,807,235. This represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 9,844 shares of company stock worth $2,210,716. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $247.63 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $250.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.82 billion, a PE ratio of 41.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $230.06 and its 200-day moving average is $233.66.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.42 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 70.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on BDX shares. StockNews.com cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.00.

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.