Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S lessened its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 55.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,638 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 6,971 shares during the quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,395,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $761,798,000. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 277.3% in the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,936,654 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $478,295,000 after purchasing an additional 1,423,353 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.0% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,927,519 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $6,703,041,000 after purchasing an additional 516,427 shares during the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its holdings in shares of 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. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 880.8% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 294,082 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $71,706,000 after buying an additional 264,097 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $223.87 on Thursday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $218.75 and a 1 year high of $287.32. The firm has a market cap of $64.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.31, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.42. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $233.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $237.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.41.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.04 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.86 earnings per share. 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 10th were issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 10th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.70%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the business’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 sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $472,876.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company 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 transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $472,876.56. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.73, for a total value of $781,209.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 11,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,676,942.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 8,615 shares of company stock worth $2,033,381. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 27th. Citigroup dropped 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. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $274.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.14.

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.