Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY Has $6.42 Million Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY cut its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 7.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 25,958 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 2,106 shares during the quarter. Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,423,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $761,798,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,927,519 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $6,703,041,000 after acquiring an additional 516,427 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 28.5% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,139,493 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $553,121,000 after acquiring an additional 473,914 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.5% in the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,200,213 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,637,062,000 after acquiring an additional 435,168 shares during the period. Finally, Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 117.1% during the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 710,932 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $173,347,000 after purchasing an additional 383,485 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. 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 company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.73, for a total value of $781,209.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,676,942.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 8,615 shares of company stock worth $2,033,381 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $231.60 on Thursday. 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 cap of $66.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.44. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $224.00 and a 12 month high of $287.32. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $234.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $237.93.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.86 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 10th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.64%. 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 initiated 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. Barclays lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.17.

Becton, Dickinson and Company 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.