Baxter International Inc. Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.17 (NYSE:BAX)

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, February 11th,RTT News reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of 0.17 per share by the medical instruments supplier on Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th.

Baxter International has decreased its dividend by an average of 1.4% per year over the last three years. Baxter International has a payout ratio of 25.0% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Baxter International to earn $2.47 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.68 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 27.5%.

Baxter International Stock Performance

NYSE:BAX traded up $0.21 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $30.83. The company had a trading volume of 3,855,412 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,554,846. Baxter International has a 52 week low of $28.33 and a 52 week high of $44.01. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $30.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.26. 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 firm has a market cap of $15.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 154.16, a PEG ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 0.61.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Baxter International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $39.44.

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.