Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Bahl & Gaynor Inc.

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. lowered its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 107,146 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 931 shares during the period. Bahl & Gaynor Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $26,125,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of BDX stock traded up $1.07 during trading on Friday, hitting $231.55. 738,143 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,366,929. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $239.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $241.42. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $229.40 and a twelve month high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.39 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.98 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on BDX. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James raised their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.