ST Germain D J Co. Inc. Has $10.81 Million Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

ST Germain D J Co. Inc. reduced its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 44,815 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 4,882 shares during the quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $10,805,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% during the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the second quarter worth about $45,000. Abound Wealth Management grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 96.0% during the second quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 196 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter worth about $49,000. Finally, Chilton Capital Management LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1,233.3% during the second quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 200 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX stock traded up $3.42 on Friday, reaching $243.75. The stock had a trading volume of 1,082,880 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,394,272. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $237.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $235.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.42. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $262.23.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $4.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.08 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.13% and a return on equity of 14.49%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.96 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 9th were issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 9th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.56%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is 83.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on BDX. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Raymond James decreased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Citigroup raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $282.63.

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.