Trust Co. of Vermont Reduces Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Trust Co. of Vermont decreased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 10.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 62,800 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 7,079 shares during the quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $14,247,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. StockNews.com lowered shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $283.50.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $1.27 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $237.57. 2,110,686 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,714,162. The business has a fifty day moving average of $227.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $232.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $68.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.39. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $218.75 and a 1 year high of $248.42.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th were issued a dividend of $1.04 per share. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.75%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 9th. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company's previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. Becton, Dickinson and Company's payout ratio is currently 70.03%.

Insider Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Shana Carol Neal sold 788 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $235.00, for a total value of $185,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,201 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,807,235. The trade was a 4.64 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total transaction of $990,787.83. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,345 shares in the company, valued at $5,380,488.45. This represents a 15.55 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 8,747 shares of company stock valued at $1,949,520. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.