Easterly Investment Partners LLC Takes $423,000 Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Easterly Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 2,454 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $423,000.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of BDX stock opened at $189.20 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $163.33 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The firm has a market cap of $54.23 billion, a PE ratio of 34.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.25. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $190.60 and a 200-day moving average of $184.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on BDX. Argus boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a report on Monday, September 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. Piper Sandler restated 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. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $211.00 target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Thursday. 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $205.40.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

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 value of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 1,838 shares of company stock worth $348,392 in the last three months. 0.36% of the stock is owned by 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.