Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc.

Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. decreased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,666 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 440 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company comprises approximately 3.9% of Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $5,283,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDX. Capital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $482,000. RDA Financial Network raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. RDA Financial Network now owns 1,496 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $387,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. CX Institutional raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,491 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $385,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. SS&H Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $300,000. Finally, Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,434,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on BDX shares. Barclays increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Raymond James increased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX stock traded down $3.36 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $230.47. 885,091 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,375,185. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $239.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $241.73. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $229.40 and a 1-year high of $287.32. The company has a market cap of $66.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.39, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.57% and a net margin of 6.44%. The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.73 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.98 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

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.