E Fund Management Co. Ltd. Increases Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

E Fund Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 29.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,014 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. E Fund Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $247,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of BDX. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in 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 worth $40,000 after buying an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arlington Trust Co LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Barclays boosted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $281.40.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE BDX traded up $1.42 during trading on Thursday, hitting $235.00. 1,921,786 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,418,197. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $238.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $239.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.92 billion, a PE ratio of 51.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.45. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $229.40 and a 12-month high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.86 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 10th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.62%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 83.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

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.