Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Bought by Waldron Private Wealth LLC

Waldron Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 21.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,483 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 264 shares during the quarter. Waldron Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $347,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE BDX opened at $242.41 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $283.50. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $233.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $236.01. The company has a market capitalization of $70.06 billion, a PE ratio of 53.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $4.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.08 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.49% and a net margin of 7.13%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.96 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 9th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.57%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 83.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the company’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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares in the company, valued at approximately $472,876.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on BDX. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $274.00 price target for the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $279.50.

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.