Impax Asset Management Group plc Trims Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Impax Asset Management Group plc trimmed its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 962,530 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 23,252 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned about 0.33% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $224,359,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.8% during the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 83,754 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $19,574,000 after purchasing an additional 664 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 150.0% during the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 316,391 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $72,532,000 after acquiring an additional 189,837 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.1% during the second quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 413,150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $96,557,000 after purchasing an additional 23,909 shares during the period. Mattern Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.7% during the second quarter. Mattern Capital Management LLC now owns 30,167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $7,050,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the period. Finally, Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 12.0% in the second quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 811,880 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $189,744,000 after acquiring an additional 86,811 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.9 %

NYSE:BDX traded up $1.99 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $235.24. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 21,837 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,423,337. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.36. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $269.52. The business’s 50-day moving average is $234.09 and its 200-day moving average is $236.02. The company has a market cap of $67.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.31 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $4.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.08 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.13% and a return on equity of 14.49%. The company’s revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.96 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.1 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 83.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Raymond James cut their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $274.00 target price for the company. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $279.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares in the company, valued at approximately $472,876.56. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company 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.