Ostrum Asset Management Sells 1,295 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Ostrum Asset Management decreased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 77,655 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,295 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up about 1.5% of Ostrum Asset Management's investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position. Ostrum Asset Management's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $17,618,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management grew its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% during the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE:BDX traded up $0.85 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $205.30. The company had a trading volume of 1,690,548 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,729,796. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.13. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $193.03 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99. The firm has a market cap of $58.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The business's fifty day moving average is $218.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $227.55.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. As a group, research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on BDX shares. Barclays lowered their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $272.86.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total transaction of $94,497.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,887 shares in the company, valued at $964,107.36. This trade represents a 8.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total transaction of $436,325.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares in the company, valued at $1,666,808.01. This represents a 20.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 3,578 shares of company stock worth $795,986 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company 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.