Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the nine research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $39.44.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on BAX shares. StockNews.com lowered Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on 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, Citigroup lowered their target price 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.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CKW Financial Group lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 19.3% during the 4th quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 2,625 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Baxter International by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,517 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $285,000 after buying an additional 459 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 23.2% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,519 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $96,000 after buying an additional 475 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Baxter International by 60.8% in the third quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 590 shares during the period. Finally, First PREMIER Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the third quarter worth $25,000. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Baxter International Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:BAX opened at $30.61 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $30.70 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.38. Baxter International has a 52 week low of $28.33 and a 52 week high of $44.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.43. The company has a market cap of $15.63 billion, a PE ratio of 153.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 0.61.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.22%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 340.02%.

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.