Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Bought by MCF Advisors LLC

MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 51.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 212 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the quarter. MCF Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $52,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the period. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $233.88 on Tuesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $229.40 and a 52-week high of $287.32. The stock has a market cap of $67.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.42, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43. The business has a fifty day moving average of $239.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $241.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on BDX shares. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James raised their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.00.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value 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 $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

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.