Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd. Has $372,000 Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd. cut its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 20.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,590 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 410 shares during the quarter. Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $233.50 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $235.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $235.54. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $269.52. The company has a market capitalization of $67.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $4.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.96 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate 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 disclosed 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 of this dividend is Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.63%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Raymond James dropped their price target on 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. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $279.50.

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.