Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives $38.56 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Hold" by the ten research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $38.56.

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Baxter International from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Baxter International in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 21st.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Riverview Trust Co lifted its position in Baxter International by 5,488.2% in the 4th quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 950 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 933 shares during the last quarter. Rossby Financial LCC acquired a new position in Baxter International during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in Baxter International by 48.1% in the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 2,021 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 656 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its position in Baxter International by 247.3% in the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 2,622 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 1,867 shares during the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Baxter International Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of BAX stock traded up $0.38 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $30.60. The company had a trading volume of 3,970,771 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,571,150. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.43. Baxter International has a twelve month low of $26.25 and a twelve month high of $40.96. The company has a market capitalization of $15.70 billion, a P/E ratio of -23.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.64. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $32.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $32.32.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 16.67% and a negative net margin of 5.05%. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.67 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Baxter International will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Baxter International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -53.13%.

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.