Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by TD Asset Management Inc

Key Points

• TD Asset Management Inc has reduced its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.5%, owning 384,883 shares worth approximately $88.16 million as of its latest SEC filing.
• Several large investors have either acquired new stakes or significantly increased their holdings in Becton, Dickinson, highlighting strong institutional interest, with 86.97% of the stock owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
• Recent analyst downgrades include Goldman Sachs lowering the stock from "buy" to "neutral," with a target price of $192.00, amidst a generally cautious sentiment reflected in analyst ratings.

TD Asset Management Inc cut its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 13.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 384,883 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 60,304 shares during the quarter. TD Asset Management Inc owned about 0.13% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $88,161,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. REAP Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% in the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 341.4% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth $34,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX traded down $0.16 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $182.22. 477,460 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,613,490. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $163.33 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $52.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.25. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $174.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $201.82.

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 company had revenue of $5.27 billion during 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 for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.17 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 8th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 8th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.28%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of the company's 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at $783,194.25. This represents a 20.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at $881,077.23. The trade was a 19.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.