Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the nine ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $46.30.

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Baxter International from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Baxter International from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Baxter International from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Baxter International from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Baxter International from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd.

Baxter International Price Performance

Baxter International stock opened at $39.47 on Friday. Baxter International has a one year low of $31.01 and a one year high of $50.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.48. The business has a fifty day moving average of $41.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.41. The company has a market cap of $20.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.62.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.02. Baxter International had a return on equity of 19.49% and a net margin of 17.77%. The company had revenue of $3.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.88 earnings per share. Baxter International’s quarterly revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Baxter International will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.22%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BAX. Zions Bancorporation N.A. lifted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 30.1% in the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 10,964 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $850,000 after purchasing an additional 2,535 shares in the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC lifted its position in Baxter International by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 281,374 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $21,818,000 after acquiring an additional 15,925 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its position in Baxter International by 29.2% during the 1st quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 1,351 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $114,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Eudaimonia Partners LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $340,000. Finally, KB Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in Baxter International by 6.2% during the 1st quarter. KB Financial Partners LLC now owns 4,815 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.