Handelsbanken Fonder AB Sells 11,444 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB decreased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 9.3% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 111,347 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 11,444 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $27,150,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% during 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. Arlington Trust Co LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth about $55,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on BDX shares. 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 raised their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX opened at $233.88 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $239.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $241.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.08. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $229.40 and a 52 week high of $287.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.57 billion, a PE ratio of 55.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.98 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current year.

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.