Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Earns Hold Rating from Stifel Nicolaus

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reissued by equities researchers at Stifel Nicolaus in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have a $25.00 price objective on the medical instruments supplier’s stock, down from their prior price objective of $36.00. Stifel Nicolaus’ price target suggests a potential upside of 9.41% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of Baxter International from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $25.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Baxter International from $33.00 to $24.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $30.11.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Baxter International stock opened at $22.85 on Monday. Baxter International has a 1 year low of $21.33 and a 1 year high of $40.49. The company’s 50-day moving average is $29.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.91. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. The company has a market cap of $11.73 billion, a PE ratio of -76.17, a PEG ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 0.59.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.82 billion. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 16.93% and a negative net margin of 1.42%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tredje AP fonden lifted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 86.7% in the second quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 73,682 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,231,000 after purchasing an additional 34,216 shares in the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its position in Baxter International by 10.8% in the 2nd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 1,750,510 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $53,005,000 after buying an additional 170,560 shares during the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV raised its position in Baxter International by 169.6% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 984 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 619 shares during the last quarter. Oarsman Capital Inc. bought a new stake in Baxter International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $213,000. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its position in Baxter International by 11.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,273,414 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $38,559,000 after acquiring an additional 130,169 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

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.