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

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the ten analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $38.56.

BAX has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Argus raised Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Baxter International in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Baxter International from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. CoreFirst Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Riverview Trust Co grew its holdings in Baxter International by 5,488.2% during the 4th quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 950 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 933 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC increased its position in Baxter International by 60.8% during the 3rd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 590 shares during the period. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 247.3% in the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 2,622 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 1,867 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CKW Financial Group lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 19.3% in the 4th quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 2,625 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the period. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Baxter International Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of BAX stock opened at $33.76 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $17.27 billion, a PE ratio of -26.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.60. Baxter International has a 1 year low of $28.34 and a 1 year high of $43.99. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $33.19 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $33.69. 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 released its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.67 billion. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 16.67% and a negative net margin of 5.05%. Research analysts predict that Baxter International will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.01%. Baxter International’s payout ratio is currently -53.13%.

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.