Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Coverage Initiated at Barclays

Equities research analysts at Barclays began coverage on shares of Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) in a research note issued on Thursday. The firm set an “overweight” rating and a $39.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Barclays‘s target price would indicate a potential upside of 17.53% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on BAX. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped 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. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $39.40.

Baxter International Trading Up 7.7 %

Shares of BAX stock traded up $2.36 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $33.18. 1,088,014 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,556,945. The firm has a market cap of $16.94 billion, a PE ratio of 166.18, a PEG ratio of 9.95 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 company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $30.52 and a 200 day moving average of $34.15.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06. Baxter International had a net margin of 0.77% and a return on equity of 18.30%. Analysts expect that Baxter International will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BAX. CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Riverview Trust Co grew its position in Baxter International by 5,488.2% in the fourth quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 950 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 933 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in Baxter International in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. LRI Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Baxter International by 60.8% during the third quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cromwell Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the third quarter worth approximately $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.