Laffer Tengler Investments Inc. Lowers Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Laffer Tengler Investments Inc. reduced its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 26.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 400 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 143 shares during the period. Laffer Tengler Investments Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $98,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arlington Trust Co LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth $41,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Barclays raised their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $281.40.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE BDX traded down $0.67 on Thursday, hitting $236.62. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,291,451 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,413,198. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $229.40 and a 52-week high of $287.32. The firm has a market cap of $68.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.09, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.45. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $238.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $239.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $5.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.04 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.86 EPS. Research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 83.70%.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the sale, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 8,597 shares of company stock worth $2,028,786 over the last ninety days. 0.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.