Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Tuesday.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on BAX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Baxter International from $44.00 to $42.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Baxter International from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup raised their price target on Baxter International from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Baxter International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Baxter International from $46.00 to $45.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $42.00.

Baxter International Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:BAX traded up $0.02 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $36.59. The company had a trading volume of 1,827,216 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,105,129. The stock has a market cap of $18.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.50. Baxter International has a one year low of $31.75 and a one year high of $44.01.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.02. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.06% and a net margin of 16.51%. The company had revenue of $3.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.55 EPS. Baxter International's quarterly revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Baxter International will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Gabelli Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Baxter International by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 286,200 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $12,232,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp bought a new position in Baxter International in the first quarter worth about $2,185,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 7.6% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,206,242 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $51,553,000 after buying an additional 84,808 shares during the last quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 76.8% in the 1st quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC now owns 41,708 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,783,000 after buying an additional 18,114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 8.7% in the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 217,629 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $8,263,000 after buying an additional 17,450 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.

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