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

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the nine analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $46.30.

BAX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Baxter International from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Baxter International from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Baxter International from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 19th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 8.2% in the 3rd quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 4,214 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 318 shares during the period. Graypoint LLC increased its stake in Baxter International by 154.7% in the 3rd quarter. Graypoint LLC now owns 13,573 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $512,000 after buying an additional 8,245 shares during the period. TIAA Trust National Association purchased a new stake in Baxter International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $614,000. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 26,361 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $995,000 after buying an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Finally, FDx Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. FDx Advisors Inc. now owns 11,714 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $442,000 after acquiring an additional 6,389 shares in the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Baxter International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BAX opened at $36.13 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $41.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $38.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The stock has a market cap of $18.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.95, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.64. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $31.01 and a 12 month high of $50.21.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.04. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.47% and a net margin of 17.79%. The company had revenue of $3.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.55 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.59 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 2.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.21%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.31%.

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.