Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA

Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA lowered its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 5.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 10,983 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 576 shares during the quarter. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,623,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 51.4% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 212 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded up $1.41 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $235.29. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 318,007 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,382,620. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $239.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $241.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.08. The company has a market cap of $67.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $229.40 and a 12-month high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The company had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.73 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.98 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on BDX. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.