Focus Partners Wealth Sells 2,364 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Key Points

• Focus Partners Wealth reduced its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.8% during Q1, now owning 32,569 shares worth approximately $7.46 million.
• Several research firms have recently adjusted their target prices for Becton, Dickinson, with Barclays setting a target of $241, while Citigroup lowered their target from $217 to $185.
• Becton, Dickinson reported strong quarterly earnings, with EPS of $3.68 surpassing estimates, and announced a $1.04 quarterly dividend for stockholders.

Focus Partners Wealth lessened its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 6.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 32,569 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 2,364 shares during the quarter. Focus Partners Wealth's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $7,461,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. REAP Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% in the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake 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 last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded up $0.87 during trading on Thursday, hitting $188.44. 1,123,254 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,544,893. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $163.33 and a 1-year high of $251.99. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $187.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $190.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $54.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.89, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.27.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.50 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company's revenue was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. Equities 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 company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 8th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 8th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 74.82%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were 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 approximately $4,167,375. The trade was a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total transaction of $213,643.65. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This represents a 19.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,965 shares of company stock valued at $551,536. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on BDX shares. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of 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. Citigroup lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $217.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Argus raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a report on Monday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $213.30.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.