Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC cut its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 59.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,403 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 22,403 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,714,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter valued at $45,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on BDX shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Raymond James dropped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $282.63.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE:BDX traded down $0.76 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $237.46. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,276,825 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,415,821. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $236.66 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $235.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.36. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $218.75 and a twelve month high of $269.52. The stock has a market cap of $68.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.31 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $4.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.08 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.49% and a net margin of 7.13%. The company's revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.96 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.1 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 9th were paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.