Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC Raises Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 5.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,529 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $373,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position 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 valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Arlington Trust Co LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 51.4% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 212 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $230.35 on Friday. 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 business’s 50 day moving average price is $237.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $238.54. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $229.40 and a fifty-two week high of $287.32. The company has a market cap of $66.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.74, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.45.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.04 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.90% and a net margin of 6.76%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.86 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.65%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Barclays increased their price target on 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 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, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $281.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was 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 is available at the SEC website. In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 8,597 shares of company stock worth $2,028,786 in the last ninety days. 0.31% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.