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

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

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Baxter International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th.

Baxter International Stock Down 0.0 %

NYSE BAX traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $28.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 8,152,054 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,142,240. The company has a market capitalization of $14.76 billion, a PE ratio of 144.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. Baxter International has a 52 week low of $28.62 and a 52 week high of $44.01. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $33.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.27.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.85 billion. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 0.77%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 1.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.35%. Baxter International's payout ratio is currently 340.00%.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Baxter International by 2.2% in the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 95,997 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $3,239,000 after purchasing an additional 2,072 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Baxter International by 73.2% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,772,533 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $226,541,000 after acquiring an additional 2,862,626 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the second quarter worth $27,000. iA Global Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the second quarter worth $403,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International in the second quarter valued at $567,000. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by 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.