Valeo Financial Advisors LLC Trims Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Valeo Financial Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 41.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,876 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,301 shares during the quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $457,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth $25,000. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the completion of 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE BDX opened at $235.17 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $67.94 billion, a PE ratio of 55.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $229.85 and a 52-week high of $287.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.08. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $240.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $243.11.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $2.39 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.57% and a net margin of 6.44%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.98 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 90.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BDX has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Barclays raised their price objective 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.00.

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.