Arjuna Capital Buys 4,177 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Arjuna Capital increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 61.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,938 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 4,177 shares during the period. Arjuna Capital's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,505,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of BDX. Brighton Jones LLC grew 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 valued at $401,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 50.6% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 82,110 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $18,808,000 after purchasing an additional 27,581 shares during the last quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter valued at approximately $6,406,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 29.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,250 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $744,000 after purchasing an additional 748 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter valued at approximately $224,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX traded down $1.63 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $175.87. The company had a trading volume of 2,428,716 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,077,671. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $172.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $205.91. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $163.33 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The firm has a market cap of $50.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.56, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.28% and a return on equity of 15.99%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.17 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 9th were paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 79.39%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.19, for a total value of $199,607.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,575 shares in the company, valued at $783,194.25. The trade was a 20.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Piper Sandler downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $260.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $196.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $219.22.

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.