Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Purchased by Northcape Capital Pty Ltd

Northcape Capital Pty Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 14,689 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for approximately 0.4% of Northcape Capital Pty Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Northcape Capital Pty Ltd’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,582,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. RVW Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Vest Financial LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.5% during the fourth quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 103,004 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,115,000 after purchasing an additional 22,207 shares during the period. M. Kulyk & Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.1% in the third quarter. M. Kulyk & Associates LLC now owns 16,640 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $4,302,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 69.4% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 15,113 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,685,000 after buying an additional 6,190 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $1,043,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX traded up $0.41 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $246.94. 212,275 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,460,233. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $238.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $245.05. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $229.85 and a 1-year high of $287.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The firm has a market cap of $71.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.98 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.54%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 90.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Raymond James boosted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Barclays raised their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $310.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $279.17.

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.