Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stock Position Increased by Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 10.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,843,856 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 667,957 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned 2.38% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $1,567,654,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,060 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $694,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Northcape Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Northcape Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,814 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $2,248,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.7% during the 1st 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 in the last quarter. Brady Family Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.2% in the first quarter. Brady Family Wealth LLC now owns 4,317 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $989,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co lifted its position in 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 valued at $272,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,575 shares in the company, valued at $783,194.25. This represents a 20.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX traded up $1.18 during trading on Monday, reaching $177.15. 6,386,593 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,603,202. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $163.33 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $172.33 and a 200 day moving average of $205.76. The stock has a market cap of $50.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.81, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.25.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 9th were paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 79.39%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of 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. Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $196.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Raymond James Financial downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, William Blair lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $219.22.

Becton, Dickinson and Company 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.