Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC Has $6.94 Million Stock Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 3.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,572 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,056 shares during the period. Becton, Dickinson and Company makes up about 1.2% of Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $6,936,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the 3rd quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.3 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $243.69 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $228.08 and its 200-day moving average is $233.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12 month low of $218.75 and a 12 month high of $248.42. The firm has a market cap of $70.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.39.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The business’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.42 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.42 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th were given a $1.04 dividend. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 70.03%.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In related news, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total transaction of $990,787.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,345 shares in the company, valued at $5,380,488.45. This represents a 15.55 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This represents a 8.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 9,844 shares of company stock worth $2,210,716 over the last three months. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on BDX. StockNews.com downgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $283.50.

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.