Oakworth Capital Inc. Sells 500 Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Oakworth Capital Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 6.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,261 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 500 shares during the period. Oakworth Capital Inc.’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $212,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. First PREMIER Bank acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. LRI Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 60.8% in the 3rd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 590 shares during the period. Cromwell Holdings LLC acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 3rd quarter valued at $62,000. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 247.3% in the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 2,622 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 1,867 shares during the period. 90.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Baxter International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BAX opened at $31.47 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. Baxter International Inc. has a 52 week low of $28.33 and a 52 week high of $44.01. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 157.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.39 and a beta of 0.61.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.85 billion. Baxter International had a net margin of 0.77% and a return on equity of 18.30%. Baxter International’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Baxter International Inc. will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th were paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is 340.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BAX has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $40.45.

Baxter International Company 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.