Tredje AP fonden Has $1.15 Million Stake in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Tredje AP fonden trimmed its stake in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 50.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 39,466 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 39,465 shares during the period. Tredje AP fonden’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $1,151,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 4,060 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $118,000 after acquiring an additional 1,541 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 93.7% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,455 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $188,000 after acquiring an additional 3,123 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 41.1% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 1,319,274 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $39,037,000 after acquiring an additional 384,349 shares in the last quarter. Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $188,000. Finally, E Fund Management Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $339,000. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Baxter International Stock Performance

BAX opened at $34.64 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $17.72 billion, a PE ratio of -27.06, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.60. 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 $28.34 and a 1 year high of $43.99. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $32.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $34.00.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.67 billion. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 16.67% and a negative net margin of 5.05%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 yield of 1.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio is -53.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on BAX. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Baxter International in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Barclays lifted their price target on Baxter International from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Argus raised Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Baxter International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $38.56.

Baxter International Profile

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.