Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Grows Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 17.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 134,362 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,841 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $32,396,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter worth $45,000. Abound Wealth Management grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 96.0% during the 2nd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 196 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tributary Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth $49,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded down $0.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $238.38. 171,133 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,376,227. The business has a 50-day moving average of $237.33 and a 200 day moving average of $235.16. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $218.75 and a fifty-two week high of $259.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.89 billion, a PE ratio of 52.56, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.19. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.49% and a net margin of 7.13%. The business had revenue of $4.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.96 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.11 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on BDX shares. Raymond James dropped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $282.63.

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.