Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX Shares Purchased by Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 13.9% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 119,395 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,579 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $21,372,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13,900.0% during the 3rd quarter. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 140 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the period. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 59.0% in the 3rd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 152.2% in the 1st quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 169 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Group LTD purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael Feld sold 165 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.49, for a total value of $31,100.85. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 19,720 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,717,022.80. This represents a 0.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Thomas E. Polen, Jr. sold 2,993 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.00, for a total transaction of $628,530.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 110,163 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,134,230. This represents a 2.65% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 3,310 shares of company stock valued at $688,650. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX opened at $217.95 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $190.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $170.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a market cap of $60.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.22. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $140.11 and a 12-month high of $219.78.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.07 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $5.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.11 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 5.66% and a return on equity of 14.90%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.96 EPS. Research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to buy up to 3.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 10th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 10th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 101.45%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $242.00 target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a report on Thursday, November 5th. Bank of America upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Barclays increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $170.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, November 6th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $163.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $197.47.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company, commonly known as BD, is a global medical technology company that develops and manufactures products used in healthcare, clinical laboratories and life sciences research. Founded in 1897, the company has a long history of producing medical devices and supplies. BD’s products include syringes, needles, infusion systems and medication-management technologies, as well as equipment and supplies for collecting and processing clinical specimens. The company also provides diagnostic systems, laboratory instruments and tools used in areas such as cell analysis and biomedical research.