Mutual of America Capital Management LLC Trims Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Mutual of America Capital Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 36,404 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,433 shares during the quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $8,508,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $211,000. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 1,529 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 14.6% in the fourth quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,286 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $801,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $3,720,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $498,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $231.58 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $66.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.42. The company’s 50 day moving average is $235.23 and its 200 day moving average is $235.54. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $218.75 and a twelve month high of $269.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.64%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 83.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of 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. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of 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. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.