Cerity Partners LLC Grows Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Cerity Partners LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 12.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 220,351 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,501 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC owned 0.08% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $37,956,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in BDX. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth about $26,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 474.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 155 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 85.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 206 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on BDX shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $197.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $224.00 to $210.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $211.00 to $202.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Argus increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $204.45.

Insider Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total value of $171,937.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 22,226 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,167,375. This trade represents a 3.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total value of $38,317.86. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 35,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,324,389.28. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 1,324 shares of company stock worth $245,860 over the last quarter. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

NYSE:BDX opened at $189.59 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market cap of $54.11 billion, a PE ratio of 32.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.25. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $188.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $183.97. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $162.29 and a 1-year high of $251.99.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.68% and a return on equity of 16.42%. On average, equities analysts expect 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 Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th will be paid a $1.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 8th. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 71.36%.

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.