Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Short Interest Update

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 12,790,000 shares, a growth of 11.5% from the October 31st total of 11,470,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,800,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.4 days.

Baxter International Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE BAX traded down $0.06 on Monday, reaching $33.65. 1,331,142 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,096,542. 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 business’s 50 day simple moving average is $35.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.59. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $31.60 and a 12 month high of $44.01. The company has a market cap of $17.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 168.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 13.39 and a beta of 0.60.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last issued its earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $3.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.85 billion. Baxter International had a net margin of 0.77% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The business’s revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Baxter International will post 1.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.02%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 580.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on BAX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Baxter International from $44.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Baxter International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com cut shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.91.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,156,660 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $460,022,000 after buying an additional 170,776 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 73.2% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,772,533 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $226,541,000 after buying an additional 2,862,626 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management bought a new position in Baxter International in the 2nd quarter worth $140,296,000. Shapiro Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Baxter International by 19.7% during the second quarter. Shapiro Capital Management LLC now owns 3,285,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $109,885,000 after acquiring an additional 541,575 shares during the period. Finally, Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the second quarter worth about $67,263,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

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.