Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $38.33.

Several brokerages have commented on BAX. Citigroup dropped their price target on Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Argus raised shares of Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Baxter International in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. They set a "buy" rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Barclays began coverage on Baxter International in a report on Thursday, February 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $39.00 price target for the company.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BAX. Dodge & Cox grew its holdings in Baxter International by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 50,377,294 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,469,002,000 after acquiring an additional 5,779,100 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 22.3% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 15,359,040 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $447,870,000 after purchasing an additional 2,803,920 shares during the last quarter. Sound Shore Management Inc. CT acquired a new position in Baxter International in the fourth quarter worth about $72,450,000. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC increased its holdings in Baxter International by 35.1% in the fourth quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 2,548,215 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $74,306,000 after buying an additional 662,042 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ARGA Investment Management LP raised its stake in Baxter International by 148.8% during the fourth quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP now owns 870,601 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $25,387,000 after buying an additional 520,633 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company's stock.

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Baxter International Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of NYSE BAX traded up $0.84 on Tuesday, reaching $36.28. 1,516,086 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,892,989. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.56 billion, a PE ratio of -28.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.61. Baxter International has a fifty-two week low of $28.33 and a fifty-two week high of $44.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The company has a 50 day moving average of $31.71 and a 200 day moving average of $34.06.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.67 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 5.05% and a positive return on equity of 16.67%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Baxter International will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.87%. Baxter International's dividend payout ratio is presently -53.13%.

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.