Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Earns Hold Rating from Stifel Nicolaus

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus has downgraded Baxter International from a "buy" to a "hold" rating with a price target of $25.00, suggesting a potential upside of 13.79% from its last closing price.
• Other analysts have also lowered target prices for Baxter, with estimates ranging from $24.00 to $42.00, indicating a consensus average rating of "Hold."
• Baxter International's recent earnings report showed a slight miss on EPS and revenue, reflecting a 4.3% year-over-year revenue growth despite a negative net margin.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold" rating restated by investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus in a research report issued on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They presently have a $25.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' price objective suggests a potential upside of 13.91% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on BAX. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Baxter International from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $25.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen lowered Baxter International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Baxter International from $33.00 to $24.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Baxter International from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their price target on Baxter International from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $31.50.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of BAX stock opened at $21.95 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 1.40. Baxter International has a fifty-two week low of $21.33 and a fifty-two week high of $40.49. The stock's 50-day moving average is $29.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $31.03. The firm has a market cap of $11.26 billion, a P/E ratio of -73.62, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.59.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.60 by ($0.01). Baxter International had a negative net margin of 1.42% and a positive return on equity of 16.93%. The company had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Baxter International will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Oarsman Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $213,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 11.4% in the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,273,414 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $38,559,000 after acquiring an additional 130,169 shares in the last quarter. RNC Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. RNC Capital Management LLC now owns 138,325 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $4,188,000 after acquiring an additional 2,277 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 82.2% in the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 3,202 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $97,000 after acquiring an additional 1,445 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 183,276 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $5,576,000 after acquiring an additional 3,300 shares in the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.