Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the eleven research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $40.45.

BAX has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com cut Baxter International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 11th.

Baxter International Stock Performance

BAX stock opened at $29.41 on Monday. Baxter International has a twelve month low of $28.33 and a twelve month high of $44.01. The firm has a market cap of $15.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 147.06, a PEG ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 0.59. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $31.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $34.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $3.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.85 billion. Baxter International had a net margin of 0.77% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The firm's revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. Analysts predict that Baxter International will post 1.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th were paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.31%. Baxter International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 340.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International during the second quarter valued at about $67,263,000. Coho Partners Ltd. purchased a new stake in Baxter International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $57,229,000. Shapiro Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Baxter International by 19.7% during the 2nd quarter. Shapiro Capital Management LLC now owns 3,285,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $109,885,000 after purchasing an additional 541,575 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service raised its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 22.1% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 1,154,616 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $43,841,000 after buying an additional 208,726 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 1.4% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,156,660 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $460,022,000 after buying an additional 170,776 shares during the period. 90.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.