Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Sells 49,467 Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. cut its holdings in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Free Report) by 32.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 104,482 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 49,467 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.'s holdings in Baxter International were worth $3,043,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in BAX. CKW Financial Group raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 19.3% in the 4th quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 2,625 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its holdings in Baxter International by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 13,618 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $397,000 after acquiring an additional 752 shares during the last quarter. CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Riverview Trust Co raised its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 5,488.2% in the 4th quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 950 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 933 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Baxter International by 61.2% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,060 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $118,000 after purchasing an additional 1,541 shares during the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Baxter International Stock Up 0.7 %

BAX traded up $0.22 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $31.20. 5,553,235 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,575,694. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The company has a market cap of $16.00 billion, a PE ratio of -24.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.64. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $32.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $32.31. Baxter International Inc. has a one year low of $26.25 and a one year high of $40.71.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.67 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 5.05% and a positive return on equity of 16.67%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.18%. Baxter International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -53.13%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BAX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays lifted their target price on Baxter International from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Argus upgraded Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Baxter International in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. They set a "buy" rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Baxter International presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $38.56.

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.