L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP Reduces Holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP trimmed its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 32,181 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,801 shares during the period. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $7,759,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% in 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 during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at about $45,000. Abound Wealth Management lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 96.0% during the 2nd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 196 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Chilton Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1,233.3% during the 2nd quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 200 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the period. 86.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James lowered 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 report on Friday, August 2nd. Citigroup raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Evercore ISI lifted their price target 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. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $282.63.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.2 %

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock traded down $0.49 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $238.13. The stock had a trading volume of 1,001,988 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,380,241. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.42. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $259.92. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $237.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $235.08.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.50 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 firm had revenue of $4.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.96 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.