Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 13.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 110,153 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 16,657 shares during the quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $24,990,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $50,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance
Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded down $0.82 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $171.49. 1,950,782 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,932,008. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $198.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $218.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $163.33 and a one year high of $251.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.15 billion, a PE ratio of 28.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.31.
Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $5.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.17 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.
Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.
Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend
The company 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 dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.43%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 79.39%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 459 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,598,960. The trade was a 6.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total transaction of $94,497.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $964,107.36. The trade was a 8.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 2,878 shares of company stock valued at $636,393. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
BDX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $196.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. 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 on the stock. in a report on Thursday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $224.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, William Blair cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $221.44.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Becton, Dickinson and Company
About Becton, Dickinson and Company
(
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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