Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Bought by Plato Investment Management Ltd

Plato Investment Management Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 908.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,945 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,653 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $729,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at about $35,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $4.99 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $241.00. The stock had a trading volume of 1,115,161 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,456,386. 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 has a market capitalization of $69.65 billion, a PE ratio of 52.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.42. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $232.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $236.24.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.19. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The firm had revenue of $4.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.96 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.58%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 83.70%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on BDX. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $274.00 target price for the company. Barclays upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Raymond James cut their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $279.50.

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.