Covea Finance Acquires 5,237 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Key Points

• Covea Finance increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.9% in the second quarter, acquiring an additional 5,237 shares, bringing its total holdings to 71,237 shares valued at approximately $12.27 million.
• Insider transactions included a sale of 1,185 shares by EVP Michael David Garrison, reducing his ownership by 19.52%, while a director sold 917 shares, decreasing their stake by 3.96%.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.04 per share, reflecting an annualized payout of $4.16 and a yield of 2.2%.

Covea Finance grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 71,237 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 5,237 shares during the period. Covea Finance's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $12,271,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. GQG Partners LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at about $689,833,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.7% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 28,002,802 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $6,414,322,000 after acquiring an additional 1,259,750 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $211,097,000. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter valued at $155,080,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 29,654.0% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 744,445 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $170,523,000 after buying an additional 741,943 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, 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 value of $213,643.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This represents a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director directly owned 22,226 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,167,375. The trade was a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 2,965 shares of company stock valued at $551,536. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX stock opened at $186.74 on Tuesday. 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 fifty day moving average price of $187.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $189.61. The company has a market cap of $53.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.59, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.27. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $163.33 and a 12 month high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.50 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 8th will be given 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 2.2%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is 74.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on BDX shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted 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. Piper Sandler restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $200.00 price target (up previously from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Argus increased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a report on Monday, September 15th. Finally, Barclays decreased 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. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average 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.

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