Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives $40.45 Average Price Target from Brokerages

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $40.45.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Baxter International by 99.8% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 16,371 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $477,000 after acquiring an additional 8,179 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Baxter International by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 97,990 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,874,000 after purchasing an additional 9,054 shares during the period. West Oak Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 345.3% in the 4th quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 3,785 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $110,000 after purchasing an additional 2,935 shares during the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Baxter International by 247.3% during the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 2,622 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 1,867 shares during the period. Finally, A. D. Beadell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $294,000. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Baxter International Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of BAX opened at $30.99 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $31.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $34.70. The stock has a market cap of $15.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 154.94, a P/E/G ratio of 9.38 and a beta of 0.59. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $28.33 and a 12 month high of $44.01.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last posted 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 business had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.68 EPS. Baxter International’s revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Baxter International will post 1.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th were issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 29th. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio is 340.02%.

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.