Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH Grows Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 0.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 798,354 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 2,159 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company comprises approximately 1.1% of Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH's portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH owned approximately 0.28% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $182,871,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of BDX. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $32,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth $34,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of BDX stock traded down $2.40 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $172.06. 2,276,369 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,975,669. The company's 50-day moving average price is $183.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $213.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $49.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 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 issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.07. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. The business had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.17 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company's revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 9th will be given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.42%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 79.39%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on BDX shares. Stifel Nicolaus decreased 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. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $196.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Citigroup downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $217.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $219.22.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $105,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total value of $94,497.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $964,107.36. This trade represents a 8.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 2,104 shares of company stock valued at $399,675 in the last quarter. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.