Public Sector Pension Investment Board Buys 1,400 Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 12.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,566 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares during the quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $3,030,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BDX. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.2% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 70,906 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $17,095,000 after acquiring an additional 4,114 shares during the period. Providence Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 18,740 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $4,518,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC raised its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 147.5% in the 3rd quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 2,185 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $527,000 after purchasing an additional 1,302 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.0% in the third quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 157,038 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $37,862,000 after purchasing an additional 3,035 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 11.2% during the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 119,811 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,886,000 after buying an additional 12,048 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance

Shares of BDX stock opened at $221.26 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $233.60 and its 200 day moving average is $233.89. 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 firm has a market cap of $63.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.25, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.41. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a 52-week 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 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 firm had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.42 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. 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 yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.97%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore ISI raised their price target on 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. Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target 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.