Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. Cuts Stake in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. lessened its stake in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Free Report) by 74.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,350 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 24,950 shares during the quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.'s holdings in Baxter International were worth $323,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 10,836,563 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $408,992,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098,787 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,971,166 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $362,919,000 after purchasing an additional 170,213 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 69.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,491,343 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $244,983,000 after purchasing an additional 2,650,959 shares during the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $215,935,000. Finally, Carmignac Gestion boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 467.0% in the 3rd quarter. Carmignac Gestion now owns 4,848,773 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $182,992,000 after purchasing an additional 3,993,537 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company's stock.

Baxter International Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of Baxter International stock traded down $0.65 on Thursday, hitting $42.63. The company had a trading volume of 3,098,730 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,803,808. Baxter International Inc. has a twelve month low of $31.01 and a twelve month high of $50.21. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $41.34 and a 200-day moving average of $38.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.02. Baxter International had a net margin of 17.77% and a return on equity of 19.49%. The business had revenue of $3.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.88 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. Baxter International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.22%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on BAX shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 19th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $46.45.

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.