Bfsg LLC Lowers Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Bfsg LLC trimmed its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 2.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,427 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 550 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for approximately 0.9% of Bfsg LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Bfsg LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,200,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of BDX. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake 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 worth $40,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at $55,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays upped their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.00.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.4 %

NYSE BDX traded down $3.22 during trading on Thursday, reaching $230.61. 259,121 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,366,857. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $229.40 and a fifty-two week high of $287.32. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $239.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $241.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.62 billion, a PE ratio of 55.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.43.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.98 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 EPS for the current year.

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.