Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the eleven research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $40.91.

BAX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Baxter International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 11th. StockNews.com cut Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $44.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Baxter International from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th.

Baxter International Trading Up 0.7 %

BAX stock opened at $33.21 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $16.96 billion, a PE ratio of 166.06, a P/E/G ratio of 13.10 and a beta of 0.60. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $36.21 and its 200 day moving average is $35.67. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $31.60 and a 12 month high of $44.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.02. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 0.77%. The business had revenue of $3.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.68 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 1.98 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is 580.03%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its position in Baxter International by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 43,751 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,463,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Baxter International by 4.6% in the second quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,759 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 343 shares in the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp lifted its stake in Baxter International by 20.8% in the second quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 2,235 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 385 shares during the last quarter. M&R Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 9.5% in the 3rd quarter. M&R Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,480 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $170,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,517 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 459 shares during the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Baxter International Company Profile

Baxter International Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Medical Products and Therapies, Healthcare Systems and Technologies, Pharmaceuticals, and Kidney Care. The company offers sterile intravenous (IV) solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition therapies; generic injectable pharmaceuticals; surgical hemostat and sealant products, advanced surgical equipment; smart bed systems; patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies; and respiratory health devices, as well as advanced equipment for the surgical space, including surgical video technologies, precision positioning devices, and other accessories.