Nuveen Asset Management LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Nuveen Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 2.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,259,437 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 25,324 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.43% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $285,728,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $50,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE:BDX traded up $3.10 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $175.37. The company had a trading volume of 2,253,035 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,907,627. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $163.33 and a 1-year high of $251.99. The business's 50 day moving average price is $203.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $220.80. The firm has a market cap of $50.26 billion, a PE ratio of 29.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.31.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.17 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

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 given a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 9th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.37%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 79.39%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. StockNews.com lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded 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. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $231.44.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, 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 value 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 approximately $1,598,960. This represents a 6.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total value of $94,497.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,887 shares in the company, valued at $964,107.36. This represents a 8.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 2,878 shares of company stock worth $636,393. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company 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.