Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. Lowers Stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company $BDX

Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. cut its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 77.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 171 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 603 shares during the quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $29,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 341.4% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of BDX stock opened at $186.76 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $53.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a fifty-two week low of $163.33 and a fifty-two week high of $251.99. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $190.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $185.45.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 16.23%. On average, analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 8th were paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 8th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 74.82%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total value of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,167,375. The trade was a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,185 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.29, for a total transaction of $213,643.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $881,077.23. The trade was a 19.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,023 shares of company stock valued at $562,036. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BDX shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $211.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Argus lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $220.00 to $230.00 in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $196.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $205.40.

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.