Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

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

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on BAX shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on 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 Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE BAX opened at $29.18 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $33.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $35.26. The company has a market capitalization of $14.90 billion, a PE ratio of 145.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 0.58. Baxter International has a 12-month low of $28.62 and a 12-month high of $44.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.68 EPS. Baxter International’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 1.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.33%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 340.00%.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First PREMIER Bank purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in Baxter International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the third quarter valued at about $38,000. LRI Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Baxter International by 60.8% during the third 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Cromwell Holdings LLC acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International in the third quarter worth about $62,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

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.