Vestor Capital LLC Makes New Investment in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Vestor Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 2,822 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $109,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BAX. Headinvest LLC purchased a new stake in Baxter International in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Baxter International by 205.4% during the 4th quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 953 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 641 shares during the period. Finally, CKW Financial Group acquired a new position in Baxter International in the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on BAX shares. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Baxter International from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Baxter International from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. UBS Group lowered their target price on Baxter International from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 19th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Baxter International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $46.30.

Baxter International Stock Performance

NYSE:BAX traded up $0.20 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $35.95. 4,997,710 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,805,097. Baxter International Inc. has a 1-year low of $31.01 and a 1-year high of $50.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a 50-day moving average of $41.19 and a 200 day moving average of $38.87.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.04. Baxter International had a net margin of 17.79% and a return on equity of 18.47%. The business had revenue of $3.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.55 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.59 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.9 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 31st will be issued a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 31st. Baxter International’s payout ratio is currently 22.31%.

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.