Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the ten analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $41.20.

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Baxter International from $46.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Citigroup lifted their target price on Baxter International from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Morgan Stanley downgraded Baxter International from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $39.00 to $30.00 in a research note on Monday, July 15th. StockNews.com upgraded Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Baxter International from $44.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th.

Baxter International Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE BAX opened at $35.99 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $37.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.30. The company has a market capitalization of $18.34 billion, a PE ratio of 6.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $31.75 and a 12 month high of $44.01.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $3.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.75 billion. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.06% and a net margin of 16.51%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.55 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Baxter International will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First PREMIER Bank acquired a new stake in Baxter International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International in the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International in the 1st quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Baxter International by 974.2% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,332 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 1,208 shares in the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.