Haverford Trust Co Has $11.87 Million Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Haverford Trust Co decreased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 8.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 49,249 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 4,672 shares during the quarter. Haverford Trust Co's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $11,874,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,055,354 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,181,483,000 after purchasing an additional 302,893 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,905,114 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,146,374,000 after acquiring an additional 87,230 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,412,163 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,031,167,000 after acquiring an additional 346,720 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,984,524 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $697,513,000 after acquiring an additional 89,157 shares during the period. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 32.5% during the 2nd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 2,803,255 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $655,149,000 after acquiring an additional 688,296 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded down $0.27 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $231.00. 623,634 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,398,754. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.74. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $249.89. The company has a 50 day moving average of $236.66 and a 200-day moving average of $235.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $66.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.43.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.42 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This is an increase 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 1.80%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is presently 63.97%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target 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. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Raymond James lowered their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $283.00.

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.