Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Shares Bought by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its holdings in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Free Report) by 8.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 314,320 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 23,218 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned 0.06% of Baxter International worth $10,759,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BAX. CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Riverview Trust Co lifted its position in Baxter International by 5,488.2% during the 4th quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 950 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 933 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its position in Baxter International by 48.1% during the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 2,021 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 656 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Baxter International by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,060 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $118,000 after acquiring an additional 1,541 shares during the period. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 35.2% during the first quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 3,546 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $121,000 after purchasing an additional 924 shares during the period. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of BAX traded up $0.18 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $30.80. The stock had a trading volume of 3,233,329 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,407,191. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.43. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $30.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.31. Baxter International Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $26.25 and a fifty-two week high of $40.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -24.06, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.61.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $2.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.65 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 30th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. 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 2.21%. Baxter International's payout ratio is -61.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on BAX shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Baxter International from $36.00 to $33.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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 note on Friday, February 21st. Argus upgraded shares of Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $30.00 to $28.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Baxter International from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $37.25.

Baxter International 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.