UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Sells 123,642 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC decreased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,483,247 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 123,642 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $357,611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 79.0% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,986,543 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $720,089,000 after buying an additional 1,317,723 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 380.8% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 58,923 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $14,580,000 after acquiring an additional 46,668 shares during the period. M&G Plc increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. M&G Plc now owns 709,259 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $165,967,000 after purchasing an additional 6,052 shares during the last quarter. Benson Investment Management Company Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 13.2% in the 3rd quarter. Benson Investment Management Company Inc. now owns 22,315 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $5,380,000 after purchasing an additional 2,602 shares during the period. Finally, Swedbank AB lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.8% in the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 150,838 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $36,367,000 after purchasing an additional 2,729 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on BDX. Raymond James dropped their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.00.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE BDX opened at $221.98 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business has a 50-day moving average of $234.39 and a 200-day moving average of $234.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.37, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $249.89.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.04. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.42 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be given a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.87%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 63.97%.

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.