Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Stock Rating Upgraded by Argus

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) was upgraded by research analysts at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Monday,Briefing.com Automated Import reports.

BAX has been the topic of several other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. StockNews.com cut Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on Baxter International in a research report on Thursday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $39.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $38.80.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BAX traded up $0.80 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $34.62. 866,829 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,799,991. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -27.04, a P/E/G ratio of 10.62 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.43. Baxter International has a 52 week low of $28.33 and a 52 week high of $44.01. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $30.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.10.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.67 billion. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 16.67% and a negative net margin of 5.05%. Sell-side analysts predict that Baxter International will post 2.48 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BAX. CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Riverview Trust Co grew 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 last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in Baxter International during the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. LRI Investments LLC grew its position in Baxter International by 60.8% during the 3rd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 590 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 247.3% during the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 2,622 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 1,867 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.