Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Shares Sold by Sandy Spring Bank

Sandy Spring Bank reduced its position in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 28.8% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 3,448 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,397 shares during the quarter. Sandy Spring Bank’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $101,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Riverview Trust Co lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 5,488.2% during the fourth quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 950 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 933 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC lifted 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 purchasing an additional 590 shares in the last quarter. CKW Financial Group lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 100.0% during the third quarter. CKW Financial Group now owns 2,200 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 1,100 shares in the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 247.3% during the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 2,622 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 1,867 shares in the last quarter. Finally, West Oak Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Baxter International by 345.3% in the fourth quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 3,785 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $110,000 after buying an additional 2,935 shares during the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Baxter International Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:BAX opened at $33.22 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -25.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.60. Baxter International Inc. has a 1-year low of $28.34 and a 1-year high of $43.99. The company’s fifty day moving average is $32.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.87. 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 (NYSE:BAX) last released 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.67 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.05%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -53.13%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Argus raised shares of Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Baxter International in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup cut their price target 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. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Baxter International from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $38.56.

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.