Capital Fund Management S.A. Lowers Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Capital Fund Management S.A. reduced its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 26.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 126,511 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 45,189 shares during the period. Capital Fund Management S.A.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $28,702,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 61.4% in the 4th quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 142 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 54.1% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 4.4 %

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $209.57 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $193.03 and a 1 year high of $251.99. The firm has a market cap of $60.17 billion, a PE ratio of 34.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $225.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $230.36.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 15.74%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.99%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.10%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,940 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.91, for a total transaction of $436,325.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,411 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,666,808.01. This trade represents a 20.75 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jeffrey William Henderson acquired 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $233.62 per share, for a total transaction of $350,430.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 8,015 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,872,464.30. This represents a 23.02 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 4,196 shares of company stock worth $962,685. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on BDX. Barclays cut their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $279.00 to $261.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $275.71.

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.