SFE Investment Counsel Buys 2,619 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

SFE Investment Counsel raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 10.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 27,970 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,619 shares during the quarter. SFE Investment Counsel’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $4,818,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Saudi Central Bank bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter valued at about $31,000. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 378.9% in the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 182 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Jackson Hole Trust increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 85.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 206 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:BDX opened at $177.88 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.25. 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 company has a fifty day moving average of $186.77 and a 200 day moving average of $182.30. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $162.29 and a 52 week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. The business had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th will be issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 8th. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the company’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 owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at $4,167,375. This represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total value of $38,317.86. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 35,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,324,389.28. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 1,249 shares of company stock valued at $231,358 in the last ninety days. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $224.00 to $210.00 in a research report on Friday. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a report on Monday, September 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $211.00 to $202.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 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, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.27.

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.