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

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the eleven analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment 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 12 month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $40.45.

BAX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 11th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Citigroup dropped 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.

Baxter International Price Performance

BAX opened at $29.18 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $14.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 145.91, a PEG ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a 50-day moving average of $33.70 and a 200-day moving average of $35.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.43. Baxter International has a 1-year low of $28.62 and a 1-year high of $44.01.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced 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. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 0.77%. The firm had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. Baxter International’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Baxter International will post 1.92 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. Investors 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 2.33%. Baxter International’s payout ratio is 340.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. First PREMIER Bank acquired a new stake in Baxter International during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. LRI Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 60.8% during the 3rd 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 position in shares of Baxter International in the 3rd quarter worth $62,000. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.