SouthState Corp Sells 2,313 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

SouthState Corp decreased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 32.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,774 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 2,313 shares during the period. SouthState Corp's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,151,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% during the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% in the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 2nd quarter worth about $45,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE:BDX traded down $0.23 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $222.41. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,421,005 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,409,883. The company has a market capitalization of $64.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $218.75 and a fifty-two week high of $249.89. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $235.55 and a 200-day moving average of $234.72.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. Becton, Dickinson and Company's quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.42 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.87%. This is a boost from Becton, Dickinson and Company's previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Raymond James dropped their price target on 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. 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 increased their price target 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. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target 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.