KCM Investment Advisors LLC Reduces Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

KCM Investment Advisors LLC decreased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 31.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,267 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,048 shares during the quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $514,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $284,429,000 after purchasing an additional 16,918 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 45,947 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $11,077,000 after buying an additional 1,843 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% in the 3rd quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 4,730 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,140,000 after buying an additional 2,031 shares during the period. IHT Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 16.7% in the third quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,047 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $735,000 after buying an additional 436 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 26.3% during the third quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 7,690 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,854,000 after buying an additional 1,599 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 6.1 %

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $208.03 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $194.46 and a twelve month high of $251.99. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $230.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $231.33.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.00%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total value of $105,570.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,952 shares in the company, valued at $1,598,960. This trade represents a 6.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,807,235. This trade represents a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 4,984 shares of company stock worth $1,147,865 over the last 90 days. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.