Flossbach Von Storch SE Raises Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Flossbach Von Storch SE lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 1.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 194,130 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 3,493 shares during the period. Flossbach Von Storch SE owned about 0.07% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $44,467,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. REAP Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.4%

NYSE:BDX traded up $2.54 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $178.04. 926,100 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,558,042. The business has a 50-day moving average of $172.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $206.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.03 billion, a PE ratio of 33.98, 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. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.13.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 9th were issued a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 9th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.34%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 79.39%.

Insider Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $783,194.25. This trade represents a 20.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on BDX shares. 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. 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 research note on Friday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. William Blair downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $190.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $219.22.

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.