Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. Sells 125 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. decreased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,179 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 125 shares during the period. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,945,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% during 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 in the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 51.4% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 212 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on BDX shares. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $0.04 on Wednesday, hitting $234.40. 357,493 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,375,750. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $229.40 and a 52 week high of $287.32. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $239.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $241.79. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $67.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43.

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

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.