Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Bought by Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 79.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,986,543 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 1,317,723 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 1.03% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $720,089,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the third 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 boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% in the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at about $45,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded down $1.45 on Friday, hitting $224.00. 1,676,940 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,411,982. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $235.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $234.56. 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 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $249.89. The company has a market cap of $64.74 billion, a PE ratio of 37.71, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.43.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 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 the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.42 earnings per share. 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 business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company's previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.86%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is presently 63.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on BDX. Raymond James reduced their target price on shares of 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. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Evercore ISI increased 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 report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $283.00.

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.