Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by ORG Partners LLC

ORG Partners LLC cut its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 70.7% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 406 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 981 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $98,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% in the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Abound Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 96.0% during the 2nd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 196 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $241.98 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.30, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.42. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $236.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $235.21. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $262.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.36.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.31 by $0.19. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.49% and a net margin of 7.13%. The firm had revenue of $4.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.08 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.96 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 9th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.57%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 83.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on BDX shares. Raymond James lowered their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI raised their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $282.63.

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.