136,319 Shares in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Purchased by Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd.

Key Points

• Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. purchased 136,319 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter, making it 2.2% of their portfolio, valued at approximately $31.2 million.
• Recent insider trades include the sale of 1,166 shares by EVP David Shan and 863 shares by Director Claire Fraser, indicating a decrease in their holdings of 20.31% and 3.59%, respectively.
• Becton, Dickinson reported a quarterly earnings per share of $3.68, exceeding estimates, with a revenue of $5.51 billion, which marks a 10.4% year-over-year growth.

Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 136,319 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $31,225,000. Becton, Dickinson and Company comprises approximately 2.2% of Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd.'s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $27,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. REAP Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 341.4% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total value of $213,643.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This represents a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.19, for a total transaction of $199,607.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at $783,194.25. The trade was a 20.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 3,214 shares of company stock worth $579,206 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE BDX traded up $0.88 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $195.88. The company had a trading volume of 2,616,848 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,862,269. The company has a market capitalization of $56.15 billion, a PE ratio of 35.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $163.33 and a 1-year high of $251.99. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $177.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $197.66.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.28. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. The firm had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.50 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 8th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 74.82%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $217.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Barclays decreased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $224.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on 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. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $211.44.

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.