Salem Investment Counselors Inc. Cuts Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Salem Investment Counselors Inc. lessened its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 53.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 234 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 274 shares during the period. Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $58,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Aua Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $202,000. &PARTNERS purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth $711,000. Running Oak Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 16.2% during the 1st quarter. Running Oak Capital LLC now owns 37,502 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $9,280,000 after purchasing an additional 5,227 shares during the last quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd now owns 25,075 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $6,204,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 18.5% during the 1st quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. now owns 54,913 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $13,588,000 after purchasing an additional 8,586 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.73, for a total transaction of $781,209.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,676,942.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 8,615 shares of company stock valued at $2,033,381 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $238.29 on Monday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $224.00 and a 52-week high of $287.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $234.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $237.90. The firm has a market cap of $68.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.44.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.20. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The firm had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.86 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $274.00 price objective on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.17.

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.