Trust Co. of Vermont Purchases 443 Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Trust Co. of Vermont increased its position in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 31.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,870 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 443 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $72,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of BAX. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 17.0% during the 4th quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 1,797 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares during the period. Lindbrook Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 8.8% during the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 4,586 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $177,000 after purchasing an additional 372 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Baxter International by 20.4% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,400 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 406 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of Baxter International by 8.9% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,222 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $202,000 after buying an additional 428 shares during the period. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its position in Baxter International by 76.6% in the 4th quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 1,439 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 624 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Baxter International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BAX opened at $33.91 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $17.28 billion, a PE ratio of 6.52, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $36.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.87. Baxter International Inc. has a twelve month low of $31.01 and a twelve month high of $50.21.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.04. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.47% and a net margin of 17.79%. The firm had revenue of $3.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.55 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.59 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.91 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 31st. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.42%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.31%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BAX has been the topic of several recent research reports. TD Cowen lowered Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $40.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Friday, May 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Baxter International in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $36.00 price target for the company. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $44.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Baxter International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $44.42.

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.