Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc.

Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. cut its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 10.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 38,927 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 4,624 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company accounts for 1.7% of Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc.'s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $9,385,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. MONECO Advisors LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.9% during the third quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC now owns 1,215 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $293,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. abrdn plc grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 81.6% in the 3rd quarter. abrdn plc now owns 269,978 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $64,498,000 after acquiring an additional 121,309 shares during the period. SFE Investment Counsel increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 4.7% in the 3rd quarter. SFE Investment Counsel now owns 22,222 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $5,358,000 after purchasing an additional 992 shares in the last quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth $304,000. Finally, Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.1% during the third quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 4,701 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,133,000 after purchasing an additional 391 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company's stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.6 %

NYSE:BDX traded down $1.40 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $237.51. The company's stock had a trading volume of 625,189 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,374,450. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $218.75 and a twelve month high of $259.92. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $237.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $235.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market cap of $68.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.19. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.13% and a return on equity of 14.49%. The company had revenue of $4.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.08 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.96 earnings per share. Becton, Dickinson and Company's revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.11 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.