Bessemer Group Inc. Sells 1,253 Shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Bessemer Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 29.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,053 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,253 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $88,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in BAX. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Baxter International by 40.4% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,745,709 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $50,904,000 after purchasing an additional 502,370 shares during the last quarter. Oarsman Capital Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $157,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Baxter International by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,446,939 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $362,006,000 after buying an additional 290,279 shares during the last quarter. Allstate Corp bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $450,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Baxter International Stock Up 3.9 %

Baxter International stock opened at $28.90 on Friday. 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 market cap of $14.83 billion, a P/E ratio of -22.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.64. The business has a fifty day moving average of $32.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $32.71. Baxter International Inc. has a twelve month low of $26.25 and a twelve month high of $41.18.

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 positive return on equity of 16.67% and a negative net margin of 5.05%. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.67 billion. On average, analysts forecast that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th were given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.35%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is currently -53.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on BAX. Barclays increased their target price on Baxter International from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Baxter International in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Argus raised shares of Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 21st. One 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average 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.