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

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,620,000 shares, a decrease of 6.8% from the March 15th total of 8,180,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,700,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.1 days.

Baxter International Trading Down 0.2 %

Baxter International stock opened at $39.51 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.04. Baxter International has a one year low of $31.01 and a one year high of $50.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.06 billion, a PE ratio of 7.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.62. The business’s fifty day moving average is $41.82 and its 200 day moving average is $38.39.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $3.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.81 billion. Baxter International had a return on equity of 19.49% and a net margin of 17.77%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.88 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Baxter International will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.94%. Baxter International’s payout ratio is currently 22.22%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on BAX shares. Citigroup upped their target price on Baxter International from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Barclays increased their price objective on Baxter International from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 12th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Baxter International from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 5th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Baxter International from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 19th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Baxter International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.30.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Headinvest LLC bought a new stake in Baxter International during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO bought a new stake in Baxter International during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC bought a new stake in Baxter International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Baxter International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in Baxter International by 205.4% during the 4th quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 953 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 641 shares during the period. 90.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.