Impax Asset Management Group plc Increases Holdings in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Impax Asset Management Group plc raised its holdings in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Free Report) by 46.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,170,655 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 373,409 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned about 0.23% of Baxter International worth $45,258,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Baxter International by 11.3% during 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 position in shares of Baxter International by 1.9% during the first quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,971,166 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $362,919,000 after buying an additional 170,213 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Baxter International by 69.0% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,491,343 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $244,983,000 after buying an additional 2,650,959 shares in the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Baxter International during the 3rd quarter valued at $215,935,000. Finally, Carmignac Gestion grew 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 worth $182,992,000 after acquiring an additional 3,993,537 shares in the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Baxter International Stock Performance

BAX traded down $0.83 on Wednesday, hitting $42.00. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,614,891 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,754,073. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $41.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. Baxter International Inc. has a 12 month low of $31.01 and a 12 month high of $50.21. The firm has a market cap of $21.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.62.

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

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.76%. Baxter International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.22%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on BAX. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Baxter International from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Baxter International from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Baxter International from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $46.30.

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.