IFG Advisory LLC Invests $1.85 Million in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

IFG Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 7,931 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,854,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $1.44 during trading on Friday, reaching $242.41. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 893,412 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,416,639. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $233.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $236.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a one year low of $218.75 and a one year high of $283.50.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.19. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.13% and a return on equity of 14.49%. The company had revenue of $4.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.96 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.57%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 83.70%.

Insider Activity

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.31, for a total transaction of $71,793.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $472,876.56. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BDX has been the topic of several recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI cut their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Citigroup lowered their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $279.50.

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.