Avity Investment Management Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Avity Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 3.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 162,687 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 5,527 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for 3.3% of Avity Investment Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Avity Investment Management Inc. owned 0.06% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $40,257,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ridgewood Investments LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 2,956 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $731,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Key Client Fiduciary Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.6% during the first quarter. Key Client Fiduciary Advisors LLC now owns 1,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $424,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 6,303 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,537,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. S.A. Mason LLC now owns 1,420 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $346,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Edge Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC now owns 1,573 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $384,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com cut shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a "buy" rating and a $274.00 target price for the company. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $280.17.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total transaction of $71,793.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,976 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $472,876.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.70, for a total transaction of $781,110.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,608 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,457,713.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total transaction of $71,793.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,976 shares in the company, valued at $472,876.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 8,615 shares of company stock valued at $2,033,381 over the last ninety days. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded up $2.77 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $233.71. The company had a trading volume of 2,404,003 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,471,420. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $224.00 and a 12-month high of $287.32. The company has a fifty day moving average of $234.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $237.85. The company has a market cap of $67.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.48, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The company had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.86 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Monday, June 10th were paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.70%.

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.