Ascent Group LLC Invests $247,000 in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Ascent Group LLC acquired a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 1,024 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $247,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in 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 in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the second quarter worth approximately $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

NYSE BDX opened at $221.47 on Thursday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $64.03 billion, a PE ratio of 37.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.41. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $218.75 and a 12-month high of $249.89. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $233.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $233.81.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its 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. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.89%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.42 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.88%. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 63.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BDX. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. StockNews.com raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $283.50.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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.