Candriam S.C.A. Sells 156,995 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. reduced its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 85.3%, selling 156,995 shares, leaving them with a total of 26,955 shares valued at approximately $6.17 million.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company reported a 10.4% year-over-year revenue increase, with $5.51 billion in quarterly revenue and earnings per share of $3.68, surpassing analysts' expectations.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.04 per share with a yield of 2.1%, reflecting a dividend payout ratio of 74.82%.

Candriam S.C.A. trimmed its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 85.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,955 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 156,995 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,174,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth $27,000. REAP Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% in the fourth 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 period. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth $29,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 341.4% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth $34,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $196.4380 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $56.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.33, a PEG ratio of 1.49 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 stock's fifty day moving average price is $180.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $195.89.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.28. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 7.51%.The company had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.50 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.50 earnings per share. 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. Sell-side analysts expect 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 announced 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 74.82%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Claire Fraser sold 863 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.30, for a total value of $165,954.90. Following the transaction, the director owned 23,143 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,450,398.90. This represents a 3.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This represents a 19.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,214 shares of company stock valued at $579,206. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their target price for the stock from $217.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Barclays cut their target price 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. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $224.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $211.44.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BDX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report).

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.