SG Americas Securities LLC Purchases 57,723 Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Free Report) by 352.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 74,094 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 57,723 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC's holdings in Baxter International were worth $2,536,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Dodge & Cox increased its stake in Baxter International by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 50,377,294 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,469,002,000 after purchasing an additional 5,779,100 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of Baxter International by 22.3% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 15,359,040 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $447,870,000 after acquiring an additional 2,803,920 shares in the last quarter. Sound Shore Management Inc. CT acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the 4th quarter worth about $72,450,000. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC lifted its position in Baxter International by 35.1% in the 4th quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 2,548,215 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $74,306,000 after acquiring an additional 662,042 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in Baxter International by 40.4% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,745,709 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $50,904,000 after purchasing an additional 502,370 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.19% of the company's stock.

Baxter International Stock Performance

NYSE BAX traded down $0.18 on Wednesday, hitting $29.74. 1,670,807 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,394,214. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.02. The business's fifty day moving average is $30.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $31.30. Baxter International Inc. has a 12 month low of $26.25 and a 12 month high of $40.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -26.99, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.61.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $2.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.59 billion. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 17.24% and a negative net margin of 4.71%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.65 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 30th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.29%. Baxter International's payout ratio is -61.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BAX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Argus upgraded Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Baxter International in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. They set a "buy" rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Baxter International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Baxter International from $30.00 to $28.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Baxter International has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $37.25.

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.