Davidson Investment Advisors Boosts Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Davidson Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 4.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 111,416 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 4,630 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for 1.3% of Davidson Investment Advisors' holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Davidson Investment Advisors' holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $25,521,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of BDX. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $27,000. REAP Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings 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 valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded up $0.80 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $175.43. 2,208,336 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,072,309. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $172.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $206.75. The company has a market cap of $50.28 billion, a PE ratio of 33.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 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.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 9th were issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.39%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. William Blair lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $224.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $196.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Piper Sandler downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their price target for the company from $260.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $219.22.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.19, for a total value of $199,607.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $783,194.25. This trade represents a 20.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

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.