Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives $40.45 Average Target Price from Analysts

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $40.45.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,156,660 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $460,022,000 after purchasing an additional 170,776 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP increased its holdings in Baxter International by 213.5% during the third quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 23,192 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $881,000 after buying an additional 15,794 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its stake in Baxter International by 15.4% in the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 170,855 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $6,487,000 after acquiring an additional 22,787 shares during the last quarter. Sivik Global Healthcare LLC boosted its stake in Baxter International by 50.0% in the third quarter. Sivik Global Healthcare LLC now owns 150,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $5,696,000 after acquiring an additional 50,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coho Partners Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Baxter International during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $57,229,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Baxter International Trading Down 1.3 %

BAX opened at $30.22 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $31.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $34.76. Baxter International has a 1-year low of $28.33 and a 1-year high of $44.01. The company has a market cap of $15.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 151.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 0.59. 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 (NYSE:BAX) last issued its earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.85 billion. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 0.77%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. Analysts predict that Baxter International will post 1.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th were paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.25%. Baxter International’s payout ratio is presently 340.00%.

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.