Ethic Inc. Lowers Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. reduced its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 55.1%, now holding 16,542 shares valued at approximately $3.74 million after selling 20,315 shares in the first quarter.
• Wall Street analysts have given the company a mixed outlook, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and a target price averaging $211.44.
• Becton, Dickinson announced a quarterly dividend of $1.04 per share, representing an annualized yield of 2.1%, with a payout ratio of 74.82%.

Ethic Inc. lessened its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 55.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,542 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 20,315 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,739,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of BDX. Northcape Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% during the first quarter. Northcape Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,814 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,248,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.7% during the first quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC now owns 984 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $225,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Brady Family Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.2% during the first quarter. Brady Family Wealth LLC now owns 4,317 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $989,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.7% during the first quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 1,188 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $272,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% during 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 last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.19, for a total transaction of $199,607.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,575 shares in the company, valued at $783,194.25. The trade was a 20.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 owned 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at $881,077.23. This trade represents a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 3,214 shares of company stock worth $579,206 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on BDX shares. Wall Street Zen raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, Citigroup cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $217.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $211.44.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded down $2.7620 during trading on Thursday, hitting $196.4380. 1,268,238 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,654,369. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $179.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $196.25. The company has a market cap of $56.30 billion, a PE ratio of 35.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $5.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.50 EPS. The company's quarterly 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. On average, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 8th will be given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 74.82%.

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.