Erste Asset Management GmbH Purchases New Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Erste Asset Management GmbH acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 4,998 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,207,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% during the 3rd quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in shares of 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 valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of 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 report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted 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. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX stock opened at $221.26 on Wednesday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $249.89. The company has a market capitalization of $63.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.25, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $233.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $233.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.17.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. The business’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.42 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. This is a boost from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 63.97%.

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.