Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Stake Lessened by Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC

Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 11.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 81,311 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 10,925 shares during the period. Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $19,604,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. PineStone Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 141.6% in the 2nd quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,345,873 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $314,544,000 after purchasing an additional 788,735 shares in the last quarter. M&G Plc bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at $173,692,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 32.5% during the 2nd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 2,803,255 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $655,149,000 after acquiring an additional 688,296 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,412,163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,031,167,000 after acquiring an additional 346,720 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Magnetar Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth $75,493,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on BDX. Raymond James reduced their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Citigroup upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $282.63.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 1.3 %

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $237.30 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $259.92. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $237.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $235.12. The company has a market capitalization of $68.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.43.

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.