Cardinal Capital Management Buys 2,704 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Cardinal Capital Management increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 11.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,275 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,704 shares during the period. Cardinal Capital Management’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,502,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at about $11,998,000. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.9% during the first quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 16,685 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $4,129,000 after acquiring an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Exeter Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at about $203,000. Defined Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at about $368,000. Finally, Key Client Fiduciary Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.6% during the first quarter. Key Client Fiduciary Advisors LLC now owns 1,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $424,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BDX traded down $0.68 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $230.94. The company had a trading volume of 1,209,310 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,443,849. The firm has a market cap of $66.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.82, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.44. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $234.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $237.88. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $224.00 and a one year high of $287.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.41.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $5.05 billion for 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.86 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.65%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 10th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is presently 83.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on BDX. Barclays boosted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $274.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $1,252,750.61. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Roland Goette sold 3,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.73, for a total transaction of $781,209.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,676,942.84. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was 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. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 8,615 shares of company stock valued at $2,033,381. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.