Circle Wealth Management LLC Sells 372 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Circle Wealth Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 10.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,348 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 372 shares during the period. Circle Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $807,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 79.0% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,986,543 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $720,089,000 after purchasing an additional 1,317,723 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 380.8% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 58,923 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $14,580,000 after purchasing an additional 46,668 shares during the last quarter. M&G Plc raised its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.9% in the second quarter. M&G Plc now owns 709,259 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $165,967,000 after purchasing an additional 6,052 shares during the period. Benson Investment Management Company Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.2% during the 3rd quarter. Benson Investment Management Company Inc. now owns 22,315 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $5,380,000 after buying an additional 2,602 shares during the period. Finally, Swedbank AB raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 150,838 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $36,367,000 after acquiring an additional 2,729 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of BDX opened at $221.90 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $234.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $234.13. The company has a market cap of $64.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $249.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.42 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th will be given 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 of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 70.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of several research reports. Raymond James decreased their target price 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 raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently 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.