Resonant Capital Advisors LLC Trims Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Resonant Capital Advisors LLC cut its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 11.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,043 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,179 shares during the period. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,205,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% in the fourth 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 period. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $40,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of BDX traded up $1.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $234.17. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 711,513 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,397,451. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.43, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.43. The company’s 50-day moving average is $240.19 and its 200-day moving average is $242.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $229.40 and a 52-week high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.57% and a net margin of 6.44%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.98 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.62%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 90.05%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.