Bank of Montreal Can Increases Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 49.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 623,640 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 205,933 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can owned approximately 0.22% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $146,555,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at about $42,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $234.70 on Tuesday. 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 has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $269.52. The company has a market capitalization of $67.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.70, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.42. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $235.68 and its 200 day moving average is $235.52.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $4.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.96 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.1 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.62%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 83.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on BDX. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Raymond James reduced their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group started 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 on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $279.50.

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.