Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives Consensus Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the nine analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $37.25.

BAX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Argus raised Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $30.00 to $28.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Baxter International in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $36.00 to $33.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Horizon Investments LLC raised its position in shares of Baxter International by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 7,438 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. CKW Financial Group raised its position in shares of Baxter International by 19.3% during the 4th quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 2,625 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its position in shares of Baxter International by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 14,479 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $496,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp raised its position in shares of Baxter International by 20.5% during the 1st quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 2,935 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Home Federal Bank of Tennessee raised its position in shares of Baxter International by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Home Federal Bank of Tennessee now owns 22,600 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $774,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.19% of the company's stock.

Baxter International Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:BAX opened at $31.68 on Friday. Baxter International has a fifty-two week low of $26.25 and a fifty-two week high of $40.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $31.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $31.81. The company has a market cap of $16.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -24.75, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.63.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.14. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 5.05% and a positive return on equity of 16.67%. The firm had revenue of $2.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.65 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Baxter International will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 30th. Baxter International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -61.82%.

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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