Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 20,990,000 shares, a growth of 17.7% from the February 13th total of 17,830,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,900,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.3 days. Currently, 4.1% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Baxter International Stock Down 1.3 %

BAX stock traded down $0.46 during trading on Thursday, reaching $33.64. 130,897 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,221,352. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $28.34 and a 12 month high of $43.99. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $32.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $33.90. The company has a market capitalization of $17.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -26.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.60. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.67 billion. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Baxter International’s payout ratio is currently -53.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Barclays upped their price objective on Baxter International from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Baxter International in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Baxter International from $38.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup cut their price objective on Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Argus raised Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Baxter International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $38.56.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BAX. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. purchased a new stake in Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at about $365,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at about $5,102,000. Raiffeisen Bank International AG purchased a new stake in Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,193,000. Mufg Securities Americas Inc. purchased a new stake in Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at about $220,000. Finally, Parkwood LLC purchased a new stake in Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at about $10,747,000. 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.