Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc

Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc reduced its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 12.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 47,572 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 6,949 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up about 2.9% of Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc's holdings, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $11,470,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 79.0% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,986,543 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $720,089,000 after acquiring an additional 1,317,723 shares during the last quarter. Benson Investment Management Company Inc. grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.2% in the third quarter. Benson Investment Management Company Inc. now owns 22,315 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $5,380,000 after purchasing an additional 2,602 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.8% in the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 150,838 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $36,367,000 after buying an additional 2,729 shares during the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.3% during the third quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 561,040 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $135,267,000 after buying an additional 12,845 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Curi RMB Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 18.1% during the 3rd quarter. Curi RMB Capital LLC now owns 84,873 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $20,463,000 after buying an additional 13,030 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Citigroup upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $283.50.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX stock traded down $1.57 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $221.44. The company had a trading volume of 1,800,212 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,442,232. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $232.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $233.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $249.89.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This is a boost 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.88%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend 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.