Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Purchased by Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,571,143 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 31,987 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 0.54% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $383,092,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arlington Trust Co LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.31% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Barclays upped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $281.40.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE BDX traded down $3.09 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $234.06. 514,847 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,398,561. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $238.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $239.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The company has a market cap of $67.64 billion, a PE ratio of 52.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.45. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $229.40 and a twelve month high of $287.32.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The business had revenue of $5.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.86 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Monday, June 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.62%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 83.70%.

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.