Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Boosts Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 24.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,514,446 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 1,670,590 shares during the quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,466,613,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $401,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $3,458,000. RiverGlades Family Offices LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at $344,000. Versor Investments LP raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 73.2% during the second quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 4,336 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $747,000 after purchasing an additional 1,833 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hutchinson Financial Advisors INC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter valued at $1,024,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total value of $38,317.86. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 35,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,324,389.28. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total transaction of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at $4,167,375. This trade represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 1,249 shares of company stock valued at $231,358 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $211.00 to $202.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $224.00 to $210.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $257.00 to $215.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Argus raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.27.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.1%

BDX stock opened at $192.93 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $162.29 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $186.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $181.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 7.51%. Equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th will be paid a dividend of $1.05 per share. This is a boost from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 8th. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 72.04%.

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.