Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Trims Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Key Points

• Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC reduced its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) by 24.5%, now holding 6,200 shares valued at approximately $1,068,000.
• A significant majority of BDX's stock, 86.97%, is owned by hedge funds and institutional investors, with several new positions being established in the last quarter.
• Analysts have mixed views on BDX, with three issuing a Buy rating and nine assigning a Hold rating, coupled with an average price target of $205.40.

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC decreased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 24.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,200 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 2,015 shares during the period. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,068,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 worth $29,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley upped their price target 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. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $211.00 price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Finally, Argus upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $205.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total value of $171,937.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at $4,167,375. This trade represents a 3.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 1,838 shares of company stock worth $348,392. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX stock opened at $186.62 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.49 billion, a PE ratio of 33.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.25. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $163.33 and a 12-month high of $251.99. 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 stock's 50 day simple moving average is $190.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $184.19.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 7.51%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.

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