Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Fisher Asset Management LLC

Fisher Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 48.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,292 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,237 shares during the quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $315,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The stock was 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 directly owns 1,976 shares in the company, valued at approximately $472,876.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 10th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $472,876.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 8,615 shares of company stock worth $2,033,381. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays increased their target price on shares of 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. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $274.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.17.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.0 %

NYSE BDX opened at $235.91 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $68.18 billion, a PE ratio of 51.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.44. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $224.00 and a fifty-two week high of $287.32. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $234.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $237.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 83.70%.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.