Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Sold by Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc.

Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 43,649 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 449 shares during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company comprises approximately 1.2% of Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $10,643,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Unique Wealth Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth $590,000. Intact Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 4th quarter worth $2,365,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 500,864 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $122,086,000 after acquiring an additional 26,454 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 220.9% in the fourth quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 677 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $165,000 after purchasing an additional 466 shares during the period. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI increased its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 247.0% in the fourth quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 3,522 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $859,000 after purchasing an additional 2,507 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,276 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $542,348.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Raymond James lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $269.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $301.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded up $1.07 on Friday, reaching $231.55. 738,154 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,001,849. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $229.40 and a 1-year high of $287.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $239.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $241.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.89 billion, a PE ratio of 54.87, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.43.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.73 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.44% and a return on equity of 13.57%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.98 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.