Trust Co. of Vermont Cuts Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Trust Co. of Vermont decreased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 54,036 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 5,163 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $9,308,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 98.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $401,000 after buying an additional 877 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 27.4% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 265 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $102,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 109.6% in the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,786 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $638,000 after acquiring an additional 1,457 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.3% in the first quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 5,846 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,339,000 after acquiring an additional 2,058 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total value of $213,643.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $881,077.23. This trade represents a 19.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total value of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at $4,167,375. The trade was a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 3,023 shares of company stock worth $562,036 over the last quarter. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX stock opened at $187.06 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.64, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.27. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $163.33 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $188.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $188.18.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $5.51 billion for 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%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.50 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.300-14.450 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 8th were paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 8th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 74.82%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on BDX. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $200.00 price objective (up previously from $185.00) on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $211.00 price objective for the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $261.00 to $241.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, Argus raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.40.

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.