Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Decreases Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lowered its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 37.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 66,377 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 40,166 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $16,185,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $40,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE:BDX opened at $233.15 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The business has a 50 day moving average of $240.19 and a 200 day moving average of $242.58. The company has a market capitalization of $67.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.25, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $229.40 and a 1-year high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.57% and a net margin of 6.44%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.98 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were paid a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.63%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 90.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BDX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James lifted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Barclays lifted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.00.

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.