EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC Sells 3,669 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 82.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 779 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 3,669 shares during the quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $190,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased 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 valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Barclays increased their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $281.40.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.7 %

NYSE BDX traded down $1.56 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $228.79. 1,373,384 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,560,821. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.41. The company has a market capitalization of $66.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.45. The company’s 50-day moving average is $237.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $238.33. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $228.09 and a one year high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $5.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.04 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.86 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 10th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 83.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.73, for a total transaction of $781,209.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 11,308 shares in the company, valued at $2,676,942.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 8,597 shares of company stock worth $2,028,786 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.