MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. Trims Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. cut its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 4.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,534 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 108 shares during the quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of BDX. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 24.1% during the 2nd quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 2,069 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,935 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,153,000 after purchasing an additional 446 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at about $284,000. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at about $299,000. Finally, ORG Partners LLC grew its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2,250.8% during the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,387 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $319,000 after purchasing an additional 1,328 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Citigroup raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Roland Goette sold 638 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.03, for a total transaction of $139,741.14. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,217 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,113,949.51. This trade represents a 4.29 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BDX opened at $221.35 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $232.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $233.54. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $218.75 and a twelve month high of $249.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.00 billion, a PE ratio of 37.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.42 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.88%. This is a positive change from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.97%.

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.