Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Romano Brothers AND Company

Romano Brothers AND Company lowered its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 3.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,846 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 57 shares during the quarter. Romano Brothers AND Company’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $457,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of BDX. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 1,852,278 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $451,641,000 after purchasing an additional 68,509 shares in the last quarter. Sapient Capital LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,295,000. Vest Financial LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.5% during the 4th quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 103,004 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $25,115,000 after acquiring an additional 22,207 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $11,998,000. Finally, Caden Capital Partners LP increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 26.7% in the 4th quarter. Caden Capital Partners LP now owns 83,417 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $20,340,000 after purchasing an additional 17,599 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.2 %

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $233.71 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $67.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.48, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.41. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $224.00 and a fifty-two week high of $287.32. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $234.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $237.85.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 10th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total transaction of $71,793.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $472,876.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,676,942.84. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total transaction of $71,793.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,976 shares in the company, valued at approximately $472,876.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 8,615 shares of company stock worth $2,033,381. 0.31% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $274.00 target price for the company. Barclays increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.17.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.