Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Acquired by Park Avenue Securities LLC

Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 25.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,429 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 694 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $778,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Pines Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $276,000. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,635 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $371,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 750.4% during the 4th quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,883 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,010,000 after acquiring an additional 11,368 shares in the last quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 114.6% during the fourth quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 2,599 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $590,000 after buying an additional 1,388 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marion Wealth Management raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.7% during the 4th quarter. Marion Wealth Management now owns 10,828 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,457,000 after purchasing an additional 487 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.2 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $240.19 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.17. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $248.42. The company has a market cap of $69.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.39. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $227.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $232.70.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.42 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th were paid a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 9th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.73%. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 70.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on BDX shares. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. StockNews.com cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, Citigroup raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total value of $633,810.54. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total transaction of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at $3,807,235. The trade was a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 9,344 shares of company stock valued at $2,090,716 in the last 90 days. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.