Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 91.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 820,116 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 391,244 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for 1.9% of Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.'s portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. owned 0.29% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $187,856,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $735,523,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 36.1% in the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 12,126,707 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,751,187,000 after acquiring an additional 3,219,317 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 392.4% during the fourth quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 3,416,665 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $775,139,000 after acquiring an additional 2,722,829 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 31.4% during the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,426,022 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,004,132,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057,879 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 15.1% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,175,899 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,401,126,000 after purchasing an additional 810,345 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE:BDX traded up $0.26 during trading on Monday, hitting $172.47. 1,215,782 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,972,851. 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 fifty day moving average price of $183.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $212.95. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $163.33 and a 52-week high of $251.99. The company has a market cap of $49.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.25.
Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.07. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. The company had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.17 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 9th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 79.39%.
Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company
In other news, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 2nd. The shares were 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 now owns 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $105,570.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,598,960. This trade represents a 6.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 2,104 shares of company stock valued at $399,675 in the last three months. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of brokerages have issued reports on BDX. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target 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. William Blair lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" 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 note on Friday, May 2nd. Raymond James cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Bank of America lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $190.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $219.22.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on BDX
Becton, Dickinson and Company Company Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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