Webster Bank N. A. cut its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 66.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,423 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 4,740 shares during the period. Webster Bank N. A.'s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $417,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in BDX. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% in 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. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 50.6% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 82,110 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $18,808,000 after purchasing an additional 27,581 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth approximately $3,458,000. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth approximately $6,406,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 29.9% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,250 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $744,000 after purchasing an additional 748 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.5%
Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $185.90 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.29 billion, a PE ratio of 33.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.27. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $163.33 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $186.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $190.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.
Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.50 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.50 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. Analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement
The firm 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 $1.04 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 74.82%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total value of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,167,375. This represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, 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 transaction of $213,643.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at $881,077.23. This trade represents a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,965 shares of company stock valued at $551,536 over the last quarter. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research analysts have issued reports on BDX shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. Barclays dropped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $200.00 price target (up previously from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Four equities research 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 has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $211.44.
View Our Latest Analysis on Becton, Dickinson and Company
About Becton, Dickinson and Company
(
Free Report)
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.
Further Reading

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.
Before you consider Becton, Dickinson and Company, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Becton, Dickinson and Company wasn't on the list.
While Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here

We are about to experience the greatest A.I. boom in stock market history...
Thanks to a pivotal economic catalyst, specific tech stocks will skyrocket just like they did during the "dot com" boom in the 1990s.
That’s why, we’ve hand-selected 7 tiny tech disruptor stocks positioned to surge.
- The first pick is a tiny under-the-radar A.I. stock that's trading for just $3.00. This company already has 98 registered patents for cutting-edge voice and sound recognition technology... And has lined up major partnerships with some of the biggest names in the auto, tech, and music industry... plus many more.
- The second pick presents an affordable avenue to bolster EVs and AI development…. Analysts are calling this stock a “buy” right now and predict a high price target of $19.20, substantially more than its current $6 trading price.
- Our final and favorite pick is generating a brand-new kind of AI. It's believed this tech will be bigger than the current well-known leader in this industry… Analysts predict this innovative tech is gearing up to create a tidal wave of new wealth, fueling a $15.7 TRILLION market boom.
Right now, we’re staring down the barrel of a true once-in-a-lifetime moment. As an investment opportunity, this kind of breakthrough doesn't come along every day.
And the window to get in on the ground-floor — maximizing profit potential from this expected market surge — is closing quickly...
Simply enter your email below to get the names and tickers of the 7 small stocks with potential to make investors very, very happy.
Get This Free Report