Cromwell Holdings LLC Reduces Position in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Cromwell Holdings LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 29.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,147 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 469 shares during the period. Cromwell Holdings LLC’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $34,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Baxter International by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,160,666 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $33,845,000 after buying an additional 21,592 shares during the period. Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $907,000. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 1.4% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,156,660 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $460,022,000 after purchasing an additional 170,776 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 213.5% in the third quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 23,192 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $881,000 after purchasing an additional 15,794 shares during the period. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 15.4% in the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 170,855 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $6,487,000 after purchasing an additional 22,787 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BAX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays initiated coverage on Baxter International in a report on Thursday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $39.00 price target for the company. Citigroup lowered 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 lowered Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $39.40.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BAX opened at $33.44 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $17.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 167.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.95 and a beta of 0.61. Baxter International Inc. has a 52 week low of $28.33 and a 52 week high of $44.01. 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 firm has a 50 day moving average of $30.57 and a 200 day moving average of $34.14.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.06. Baxter International had a net margin of 0.77% and a return on equity of 18.30%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Baxter International Inc. will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is presently 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.