Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Sets New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as $32.01 and last traded at $32.25, with a volume of 399386 shares. The stock had previously closed at $32.63.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on BAX. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Baxter International from $44.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Baxter International from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Baxter International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $40.91.

Baxter International Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $36.99 and a two-hundred day moving average of $35.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 159.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.40 and a beta of 0.60.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $3.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.85 billion. Baxter International had a net margin of 0.77% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The company’s revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.13%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is 580.03%.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First PREMIER Bank acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 1st quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of Baxter International by 974.2% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,332 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,208 shares during the period. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.