Gulf International Bank UK Ltd Decreases Stake in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd decreased its stake in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 39,496 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 393 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $1,151,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. CKW Financial Group increased its stake in shares of Baxter International by 19.3% in the fourth quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 2,625 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Baxter International by 23.2% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,519 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $96,000 after buying an additional 475 shares in the last quarter. 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. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in Baxter International by 23.4% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 6,431 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 1,219 shares during the period. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC boosted its stake in Baxter International by 247.3% in the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 2,622 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 1,867 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Baxter International Price Performance

NYSE:BAX opened at $34.50 on Friday. Baxter International Inc. has a 52 week low of $28.33 and a 52 week high of $44.01. The firm has a market cap of $17.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -26.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.61. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $31.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.07. 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 (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.67 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.97%. Baxter International’s payout ratio is currently -53.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on BAX. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 21st. Argus upgraded shares of Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Baxter International in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $39.00.

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.