Marks Wealth LLC Reduces Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Marks Wealth LLC trimmed its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 17.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,721 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 355 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for approximately 0.1% of Marks Wealth LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Marks Wealth LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $296,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 341.4% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total transaction of $213,643.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at $881,077.23. This represents a 19.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total transaction of $171,937.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 22,226 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,167,375. The trade was a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 3,023 shares of company stock valued at $562,036 over the last 90 days. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of BDX opened at $190.90 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $188.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $188.20. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $163.33 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.72 billion, a PE ratio of 34.33, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.10.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $5.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.50 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. The company’s revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.50 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 8th were paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 74.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $200.00 price objective (up from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $211.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $205.40.

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.