Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX Shares Purchased by Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd

Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 147.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,417 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,629 shares during the quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $779,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 474.1% during the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 155 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 85.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 206 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at about $36,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on BDX. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $224.00 to $210.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Wall Street Zen lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $172.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.27.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE:BDX opened at $192.57 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $186.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $182.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market cap of $55.20 billion, a PE ratio of 34.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.25. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $162.29 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. Analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th will be given a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 8th. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 72.04%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total value of $38,317.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 35,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,324,389.28. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the business’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 sale, the director owned 22,226 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,167,375. The trade was a 3.96% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 1,249 shares of company stock valued at $231,358 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.36% 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.