Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Earnest Partners LLC

Earnest Partners LLC lessened its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 1.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,439 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 88 shares during the quarter. Earnest Partners LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,593,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE BDX traded up $1.15 on Tuesday, reaching $238.99. 165,653 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,417,872. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $284.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $232.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $236.16. The company has a market cap of $69.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.42.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 9th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.59%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $274.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price 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. Barclays increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.13.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total value of $71,793.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares in the company, valued at $472,876.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 directly owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $472,876.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.70, for a total value of $781,110.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,608 shares in the company, valued at $3,457,713.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 6,900 shares of company stock valued at $1,634,112 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

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.