Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives $46.30 Average Price Target from Analysts

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the nine analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $46.30.

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. UBS Group decreased their price target on Baxter International from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Baxter International from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Baxter International from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Headinvest LLC acquired a new stake in Baxter International in the third quarter worth $25,000. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC bought a new stake in Baxter International in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Baxter International by 205.4% in the 4th quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 953 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 641 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Baxter International Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE BAX opened at $39.51 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.48. Baxter International has a 1 year low of $31.01 and a 1 year high of $50.21. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $41.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.39. The firm has a market cap of $20.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.57, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.62.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.02. Baxter International had a return on equity of 19.49% and a net margin of 17.77%. The company had revenue of $3.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.88 EPS. Baxter International’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is 22.22%.

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.