Natixis Advisors LLC Purchases 231,402 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC has increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 112.8%, acquiring an additional 231,402 shares, bringing its total to 436,600 shares valued at approximately $100 million.
• Several institutional investors have also significantly increased their holdings, with Federated Hermes reporting a 420.2% rise in its ownership during the first quarter.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company recently announced second-quarter earnings of $3.35 per share, exceeding expectations, while revenues were reported at $5.27 billion, reflecting a 4.5% increase compared to the previous year.

Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 112.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 436,600 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 231,402 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.15% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $100,007,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 52.5% during the first quarter. FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc. now owns 5,640 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,292,000 after buying an additional 1,941 shares in the last quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC now owns 33,147 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $7,593,000 after buying an additional 810 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth $313,000. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 420.2% during the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 87,223 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $19,979,000 after purchasing an additional 70,456 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maridea Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth $429,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on BDX. Citigroup cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $217.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Barclays decreased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $219.22.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.2%

BDX traded down $2.06 during trading on Friday, hitting $176.19. The company had a trading volume of 4,688,991 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,814,753. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $174.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $200.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $163.33 and a one year high of $251.99. The company has a market capitalization of $50.50 billion, a PE ratio of 33.62, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.20.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.07. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.28% and a return on equity of 15.99%. The company had revenue of $5.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.17 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company's quarterly revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 8th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 79.39%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Friday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total transaction 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 4,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at $783,194.25. The trade was a 20.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

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.