Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. decreased its position in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 0.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,202,909 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,078 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. owned about 0.24% of Baxter International worth $46,504,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Headinvest LLC acquired a new stake in Baxter International in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. CKW Financial Group acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, BKM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter valued at $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com raised Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Baxter International from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Barclays increased their price objective on Baxter International from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Baxter International from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Baxter International from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Baxter International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.30.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Baxter International stock opened at $39.47 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $41.80 and its 200-day moving average is $38.41. The company has a market cap of $20.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.04. Baxter International Inc. has a 12 month low of $31.01 and a 12 month high of $50.21.

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

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were issued a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.94%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.