B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG Acquires Shares of 62,546 Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 62,546 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $15,080,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the 3rd quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% during the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter worth $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.6 %

BDX stock traded down $1.37 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $222.73. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,379,181 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,409,833. The company has a market cap of $64.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.43. The business's 50 day moving average price is $236.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $234.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $249.89.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.87%. The ex-dividend date 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.97%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on BDX shares. Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on 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. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on 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, Raymond James lowered their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $283.00.

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.