Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Upgraded at Argus

Argus upgraded shares of Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning, Marketbeat reports.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on BAX. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target 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. Barclays started coverage on shares of Baxter International in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $39.00 price target for the company. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Baxter International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $39.00.

Baxter International Price Performance

BAX stock opened at $35.22 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $18.02 billion, a P/E ratio of -27.52, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $31.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $34.08. 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.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.06. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 5.05% and a positive return on equity of 16.67%. The company had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.67 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that Baxter International will post 2.48 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.93%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio is currently -53.13%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CKW Financial Group grew its position in Baxter International by 19.3% during the fourth quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 2,625 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 425 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Baxter International by 23.2% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,519 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $96,000 after acquiring an additional 475 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 590 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 13,618 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $397,000 after purchasing an additional 752 shares during the period. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust purchased a new position in Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. 90.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.