Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Price Target Lowered to $36.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) had its price objective decreased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $38.00 to $36.00 in a research note published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

BAX has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. 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. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Baxter International in a research note on Thursday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $39.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $38.80.

Baxter International Trading Up 1.3 %

Baxter International stock opened at $33.87 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.43. The firm has a market cap of $17.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -26.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.62 and a beta of 0.61. Baxter International has a 1 year low of $28.33 and a 1 year high of $44.01. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $30.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.10.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $2.67 billion. On average, research analysts predict that Baxter International will post 2.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is presently -53.13%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new position in Baxter International in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Riverview Trust Co raised its holdings in Baxter International by 5,488.2% in the 4th quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 950 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 933 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new position in Baxter International in the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. LRI Investments LLC raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 590 shares during the period. Finally, Cromwell Holdings LLC bought a new position in Baxter International in the 3rd quarter worth $62,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

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.