Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) to Issue $0.17 Quarterly Dividend

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, February 11th,RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a dividend of 0.17 per share by the medical instruments supplier on Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.26%.

Baxter International has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 1.4% per year over the last three years. Baxter International has a payout ratio of 25.0% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Baxter International to earn $2.47 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.68 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 27.5%.

Baxter International Stock Down 1.7 %

BAX opened at $30.08 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $15.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 151.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.43. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $30.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.35. Baxter International has a twelve month low of $28.33 and a twelve month high of $44.01.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.90.

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.