Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Has $5.90 Million Stock Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Key Points

• Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. has reduced its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.2%, bringing its total holdings to 25,777 shares, valued at approximately $5.9 million.
• Several other institutional investors have also adjusted their positions, with Goldman Sachs increasing its stake by 18.5% to nearly 929,180 shares, now worth around $212.8 million.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company reported earnings of $3.68 per share, exceeding expectations, and announced a quarterly dividend of $1.04 per share, with an annualized yield of 2.2%.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. trimmed its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 5.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,777 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,428 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.'s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $5,904,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $401,000 after acquiring an additional 877 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 50.6% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 82,110 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $18,808,000 after acquiring an additional 27,581 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,458,000. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $6,406,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 29.9% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,250 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $744,000 after acquiring an additional 748 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on BDX. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Piper Sandler reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $200.00 target price (up from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $211.44.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of BDX stock traded down $3.34 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $187.23. 1,118,088 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,747,428. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $163.33 and a 1-year high of $251.99. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $186.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $191.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.66 billion, a PE ratio of 33.67, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.27.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.28. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. 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 business earned $3.50 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 8th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 8th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 74.82%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This represents a 19.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total transaction of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,167,375. This represents a 3.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,965 shares of company stock worth $551,536 in the last 90 days. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.