Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Lowers Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 107,146 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 931 shares during the period. Bahl & Gaynor Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $26,125,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 51.4% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 212 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

BDX traded up $1.07 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $231.55. 738,143 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,366,929. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $66.89 billion, a PE ratio of 54.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $239.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $241.42. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $229.40 and a 1-year high of $287.32.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total value of $67,197.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.