Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives $41.73 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have assigned a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $41.73.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on BAX shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Baxter International from $44.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Baxter International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Baxter International from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th.

Baxter International Stock Performance

NYSE BAX opened at $39.38 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. Baxter International has a twelve month low of $31.01 and a twelve month high of $44.01. The stock has a market cap of $20.06 billion, a PE ratio of 7.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.59.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.02. Baxter International had a net margin of 16.51% and a return on equity of 18.06%. The company had revenue of $3.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.75 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.55 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.95%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.31%.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BAX. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in Baxter International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International during the first quarter worth approximately $39,000. United Community Bank purchased a new stake in Baxter International in the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Baxter International by 974.2% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,332 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,208 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 31.0% during the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 1,870 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 443 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

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.