Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co buys 6,321 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX – Free Report) by 10.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 66,121 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,321 shares during the period. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $15,453,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. WR Wealth Planners LLC raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 2,978 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $696,000 after acquired an additional 42 shares during the period. Ridgewood Investments LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% in the first quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 2,956 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $731,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Key Client Fiduciary Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.6% in the first quarter. Key Client Fiduciary Advisors LLC now owns 1,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $424,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC boosted its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 900 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at $210,000. after acquiring another 44 shares during the period. Finally, Edge Capital Group LLC raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Edge Capital Group LLC now owns 1,573 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at 384,000 USD, after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s shares.

Becton, Dickinson and Company trading fell 0.2%

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $232.67 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $234.06 and a 200-day moving average of $235.86. The firm has a market cap of $67.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.42. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $269.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.36, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX – Get Your Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.19. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 7.13% and a return on equity of 14.49%. The company had revenue of $4.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted EPS of $2.96. The company’s revenue rose 2.3% year-over-year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company announces dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a dividend of $3.80 on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 83.70%.

Analyst upgrades and downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. 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. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $260.00 to $255.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. July 10. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Becton, Dickinson and Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $279.50, according to MarketBeat.com .

Check out our latest research report on Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and company profile

(Free report)

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products to healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences and BD Interventional.

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