Bernzott Capital Advisors Has $4.40 Million Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Bernzott Capital Advisors decreased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 14.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 19,409 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 3,273 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up 2.2% of Bernzott Capital Advisors’ holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Bernzott Capital Advisors’ holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $4,403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at $192,000. Apella Capital LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 16.3% in the fourth quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 1,531 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $347,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Covea Finance increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Covea Finance now owns 58,625 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $13,300,000 after purchasing an additional 3,300 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,485 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,152,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Community Trust NA increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. First Community Trust NA now owns 7,242 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,643,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.6 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $236.23 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $226.77 and a 200-day moving average of $232.51. The company has a market cap of $68.51 billion, a PE ratio of 39.77, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.39. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $248.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.42 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th were issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 9th. This is a boost from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.76%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 70.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $283.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares in the company, valued at $3,807,235. The trade was a 4.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total transaction of $139,741.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,217 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,113,949.51. The trade was a 4.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 8,747 shares of company stock worth $1,949,520. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.