Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Lowers Stock Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd cut its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Free Report) by 17.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,724 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 2,701 shares during the quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd's holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,068,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp grew its stake 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 worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% in the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded down $1.66 on Tuesday, hitting $221.35. The stock had a trading volume of 1,804,078 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,443,634. The stock has a market cap of $64.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41. 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 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week high of $249.89. The company's 50 day moving average price is $232.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $233.54.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share 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 analysts' expectations of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 14.89% and a net margin of 8.55%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.42 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.88%. This is a boost from Becton, Dickinson and Company's previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company's dividend payout ratio is presently 63.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on BDX shares. Citigroup upgraded 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. Evercore ISI increased their price target 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. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $283.50.

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.