Versor Investments LP Sells 2,700 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Key Points

• Versor Investments LP reduced its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 51.9% in the first quarter, now owning 2,503 shares valued at approximately $573,000.
• Several institutional investors have altered their stakes in the company, with 86.97% of the stock now owned by institutional investors.
• BDX reported earnings of $3.68 per share for the quarter, exceeding analyst expectations, and plans to distribute a $1.04 quarterly dividend to shareholders.

Versor Investments LP cut its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 51.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,503 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 2,700 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $573,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northcape Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.5% during 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 during the period. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.7% during the first quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC now owns 984 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $225,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Brady Family Wealth LLC raised its position 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 worth $989,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 1,188 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $272,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $2.8730 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $199.5030. 1,619,788 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,720,196. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.10. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $163.33 and a 52 week high of $251.99. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $180.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $195.26. The company has a market cap of $57.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.20.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.28. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.23% and a net margin of 7.51%.The company had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.50 earnings per share. The business's quarterly 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. Equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 8th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is 74.82%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on BDX shares. 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. William Blair lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Raymond James Financial lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Barclays dropped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 target price for the company. in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $211.44.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.19, for a total value of $199,607.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 863 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.30, for a total value of $165,954.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 23,143 shares in the company, valued at $4,450,398.90. This trade represents a 3.59% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,214 shares of company stock valued at $579,206. 0.36% of the stock is owned by 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.