Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Stock Holdings Decreased by Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.

Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. reduced its position in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 45.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 62,208 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 51,066 shares during the period. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $1,814,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BAX. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position 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 valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 475 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in Baxter International by 11.1% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 61,878 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,257,000 after purchasing an additional 6,168 shares in the last quarter. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP purchased a new position in Baxter International during the third quarter valued at approximately $114,000. Covestor Ltd grew its position in Baxter International by 23.4% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 6,431 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 1,219 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP grew its position in Baxter International by 213.5% during the third quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 23,192 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $881,000 after purchasing an additional 15,794 shares in the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Baxter International Price Performance

Shares of Baxter International stock opened at $36.61 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.06. 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 Inc. has a 1-year low of $28.33 and a 1-year high of $44.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -28.60, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.60.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $2.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.67 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is -53.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on BAX. Argus raised shares of Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. 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 report on Monday, November 11th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $38.33.

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.