First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown Trims Stock Position in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown decreased its holdings in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 30.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 13,514 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 5,953 shares during the quarter. First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $394,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Greenleaf Trust grew its holdings in Baxter International by 10.0% in the third quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 9,491 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $360,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares during the period. Coho Partners Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 3rd quarter valued at $57,229,000. Cromwell Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 3rd quarter valued at $62,000. Forsta AP Fonden increased its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 113,900 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $4,325,000 after buying an additional 7,400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BAX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Citigroup lowered their price target on Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $39.44.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Baxter International stock opened at $30.86 on Thursday. 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 Inc. has a one year low of $28.33 and a one year high of $44.01. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $30.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $34.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.75 billion, a PE ratio of 154.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 0.61.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.20%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 340.02%.

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.