Carret Asset Management LLC Decreases Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Carret Asset Management LLC cut its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 11,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 112 shares during the quarter. Carret Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,682,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $184,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 26.6% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,190 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $290,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC now owns 14,339 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,496,000 after purchasing an additional 1,375 shares in the last quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc now owns 26,396 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $6,436,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RWA Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 123.6% during the fourth quarter. RWA Wealth Partners LLC now owns 16,381 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,994,000 after purchasing an additional 9,054 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX traded down $0.63 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $233.73. 779,835 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,381,389. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $239.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $241.79. The company has a market cap of $67.52 billion, a PE ratio of 55.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.43. 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 12-month low of $229.40 and a 12-month high of $287.32.

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, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.73 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.98 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on BDX. Raymond James lifted their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Barclays boosted their price target 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.00.

Insider Activity at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and 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.