PDS Planning Inc Reduces Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

PDS Planning Inc decreased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 20.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,304 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 341 shares during the period. PDS Planning Inc’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $225,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $401,000 after buying an additional 877 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 50.6% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 82,110 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $18,808,000 after buying an additional 27,581 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth about $3,458,000. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth about $6,406,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 29.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,250 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $744,000 after buying an additional 748 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $186.41 on Monday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $163.33 and a 12-month high of $251.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market cap of $53.43 billion, a PE ratio of 33.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a 50-day moving average of $190.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $185.73.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. The company had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter. On average, research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, 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 value of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 22,226 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,167,375. This trade represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This trade represents a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,023 shares of company stock valued at $562,036. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $211.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Argus raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target 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.