Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stake Lowered by Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lowered its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 5.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 73,286 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 3,830 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $16,787,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $401,000 after buying an additional 877 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position 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 worth $18,808,000 after acquiring an additional 27,581 shares during the last quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth about $6,406,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth about $224,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.19, for a total transaction of $199,607.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 18th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $881,077.23. The trade was a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE:BDX traded down $2.06 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $176.19. 4,688,991 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,814,753. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $163.33 and a one year high of $251.99. The company has a market capitalization of $50.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.25. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $174.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $200.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 8th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 8th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 79.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on BDX shares. Citigroup downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $217.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note 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 target price for the company. in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $224.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Barclays cut 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $219.22.

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.