Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Purchased by Versor Investments LP

Versor Investments LP increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 382.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,303 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 4,203 shares during the quarter. Versor Investments LP's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,279,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Lountzis Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at $233,000. Addison Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 16.5% in the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 693 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $167,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,434,559 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $345,872,000 after purchasing an additional 5,868 shares during the last quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

BDX stock traded down $3.35 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $231.26. 1,186,856 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,402,289. The company has a market cap of $66.84 billion, a PE ratio of 39.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $218.75 and a 1 year high of $249.89. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $236.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $235.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.36.

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. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.42 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be given a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.80%. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company's previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on BDX. Citigroup raised 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. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Evercore ISI increased their target price 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. Finally, Raymond James decreased their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $283.00.

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.