Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Short Interest Update

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 12,790,000 shares, an increase of 11.5% from the October 31st total of 11,470,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,800,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.4 days.

Baxter International Stock Down 0.2 %

NYSE BAX traded down $0.06 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $33.65. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,331,142 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,096,542. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 168.56, a PEG ratio of 13.39 and a beta of 0.60. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $35.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $35.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. Baxter International has a twelve month low of $31.60 and a twelve month high of $44.01.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.85 billion. Baxter International had a net margin of 0.77% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 1.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 580.03%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. First PREMIER Bank bought a new position in shares of Baxter International during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in Baxter International by 974.2% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,332 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,208 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC boosted its stake in Baxter International by 60.8% in 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 period. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup boosted their price target on Baxter International from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Baxter International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Baxter International from $44.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $40.91.

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.