Buckhead Capital Management LLC Lowers Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Buckhead Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 38.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,486 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 6,509 shares during the period. Buckhead Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,557,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 125,972 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $30,716,000 after purchasing an additional 5,519 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.8% in the 4th quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 5,574 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,359,000 after purchasing an additional 452 shares in the last quarter. Phraction Management LLC lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.9% in the 4th quarter. Phraction Management LLC now owns 32,924 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $8,028,000 after purchasing an additional 7,183 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hartford Funds Management Co LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $417,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE BDX traded down $0.88 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $233.72. 2,566,016 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,380,039. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $238.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $240.76. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $229.40 and a 12 month high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its 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. The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.57% and a net margin of 6.44%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.98 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.05%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays boosted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.