Avity Investment Management Inc. Sells 12,343 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Avity Investment Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 7.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 151,071 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 12,343 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company comprises 1.9% of Avity Investment Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Avity Investment Management Inc. owned about 0.05% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $26,022,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Saudi Central Bank bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 75.3% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.8%

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $187.23 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $53.66 billion, a PE ratio of 33.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.27. 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 has a one year low of $163.33 and a one year high of $251.99. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $186.46 and a 200 day moving average of $191.26.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on BDX. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Barclays reduced their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $200.00 target price (up from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $211.44.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total transaction of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,167,375. This represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total value of $213,643.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $881,077.23. The trade was a 19.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,965 shares of company stock valued at $551,536. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company 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.