M&G Plc Takes Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

M&G Plc purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 703,207 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $173,692,000. Becton, Dickinson and Company comprises 1.0% of M&G Plc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. M&G Plc owned approximately 0.24% of Becton, Dickinson and Company at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $761,798,000. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 277.3% during the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,936,654 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $478,295,000 after purchasing an additional 1,423,353 shares during the period. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 117.1% during the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 710,932 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $173,347,000 after purchasing an additional 383,485 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 880.8% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 294,082 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $71,706,000 after purchasing an additional 264,097 shares during the period. Finally, Veritas Asset Management LLP raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.3% during the fourth quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 2,183,266 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $532,346,000 after purchasing an additional 255,914 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX traded down $1.00 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $230.74. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,075,022 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,283,397. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $232.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $236.49. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $287.32. The company has a market cap of $66.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.42.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.86 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 10th were given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.65%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 83.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on BDX. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $274.00 target price on the stock. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.14.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total value of $71,793.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $472,876.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total transaction of $71,793.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $472,876.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 8,615 shares of company stock valued at $2,033,381 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

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.