Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Shares Bought by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 1.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,160,666 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 21,592 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned 0.23% of Baxter International worth $33,845,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 229.9% during the 3rd quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 4,747 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $180,000 after purchasing an additional 3,308 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International during the third quarter valued at approximately $218,000. Trust Point Inc. acquired a new stake in Baxter International during the third quarter worth approximately $213,000. Everence Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Baxter International by 138.1% in the 3rd quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc. now owns 36,912 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,402,000 after acquiring an additional 21,410 shares during the period. Finally, Plimoth Trust Co. LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International in the 3rd quarter valued at $201,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Baxter International Stock Down 0.7 %

BAX opened at $30.61 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $15.63 billion, a PE ratio of 153.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.43. Baxter International Inc. has a 1 year low of $28.33 and a 1 year high of $44.01. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $30.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.38.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 2.22%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 340.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on BAX shares. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. StockNews.com lowered Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $40.90.

Baxter International Company 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.