Capital Fund Management S.A. Sells 45,189 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Capital Fund Management S.A. decreased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 26.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 126,511 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 45,189 shares during the period. Capital Fund Management S.A.'s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $28,702,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Phoenix Financial Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $208,000. DRW Securities LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $227,000. Martingale Asset Management L P grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.9% during the 4th quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 36,283 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $8,232,000 after purchasing an additional 13,874 shares in the last quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 604.3% in the fourth quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 176,232 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $38,611,000 after buying an additional 151,208 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rathbones Group PLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 109,334 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $24,805,000 after buying an additional 7,737 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of BDX stock traded down $3.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $202.69. The company had a trading volume of 702,472 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,683,925. The company has a market cap of $58.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $193.03 and a 12 month high of $251.99. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $223.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $229.56.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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%. On average, research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.05%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on BDX shares. Barclays dropped their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $275.71.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total transaction of $159,593.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 36,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,215,163.67. This represents a 1.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 4,675 shares of company stock worth $1,057,182. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.