Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund Lowers Stock Position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund cut its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,558 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 764 shares during the quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $2,063,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% during the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% in the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank bought a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.9 %

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $225.15 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $236.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $234.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1-year low of $218.75 and a 1-year high of $249.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.43.

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

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.85%. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 70.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on BDX shares. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Raymond James decreased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $283.00.

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.