Czech National Bank Raises Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Czech National Bank grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 6.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 58,880 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,808 shares during the quarter. Czech National Bank’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $14,196,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.9% in the first quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 402,350 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $99,562,000 after buying an additional 18,786 shares during the period. Norden Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2,086.7% during the first quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 51,934 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $12,853,000 after purchasing an additional 49,559 shares during the period. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $11,998,000. Avity Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.5% in the first quarter. Avity Investment Management Inc. now owns 162,687 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,257,000 after purchasing an additional 5,527 shares during the period. Finally, Caden Capital Partners LP increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. Caden Capital Partners LP now owns 83,417 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $20,340,000 after buying an additional 17,599 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX stock traded up $0.86 on Friday, hitting $238.22. 712,860 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,416,546. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The company has a market capitalization of $68.85 billion, a PE ratio of 52.47, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.42. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $269.52. The company’s fifty day moving average is $236.66 and its 200 day moving average is $235.59.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $4.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.08 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.49% and a net margin of 7.13%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.96 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 9th were paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.60%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Raymond James lowered their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. 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, Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $282.63.

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.