Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. Sells 141 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 0.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 155,214 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 141 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up approximately 2.7% of Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. owned 0.05% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $37,846,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 552.0% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 163 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 51.4% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 212 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Activity

In related 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE BDX traded up $1.42 on Monday, hitting $232.97. 353,942 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,354,779. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $239.24 and a 200-day moving average of $241.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $229.40 and a 52 week high of $287.32. The stock has a market cap of $67.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.43.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 EPS 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 company had revenue of $4.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.98 EPS. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current year.

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.