Flossbach Von Storch AG Has $66.65 Million Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Flossbach Von Storch AG boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 8.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 273,335 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,962 shares during the quarter. Flossbach Von Storch AG owned about 0.09% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $66,647,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of BDX. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth $40,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.5 %

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $1.25 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $232.26. 1,510,566 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,413,843. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $229.40 and a fifty-two week high of $287.32. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $240.34 and its 200-day moving average is $242.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.04, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.43.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.64%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.05%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays boosted their price target 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 increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.00.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company 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.