Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $40.45.

Several research firms recently weighed in on BAX. Citigroup dropped their price target on Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. StockNews.com cut shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First PREMIER Bank acquired a new stake in Baxter International during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. LRI Investments LLC boosted its stake in Baxter International by 60.8% during the third quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cromwell Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Baxter International in the third quarter worth $62,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of BAX opened at $28.91 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $14.76 billion, a PE ratio of 144.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 0.57. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $34.00 and a 200-day moving average of $35.31. Baxter International has a one year low of $28.90 and a one year 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 issued its earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.02. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 0.77%. The company had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Baxter International will post 1.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.35%. Baxter International’s payout ratio is 340.00%.

About Baxter International

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.