Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) to Issue $0.17 Quarterly Dividend

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, February 11th, RTT News reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a dividend of 0.17 per share by the medical instruments supplier on Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th.

Baxter International has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 1.4% annually over the last three years. Baxter International has a payout ratio of 25.0% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Baxter International to earn $2.73 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.68 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 24.9%.

Baxter International Price Performance

BAX stock opened at $36.00 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $18.38 billion, a PE ratio of -28.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.61. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $30.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.07. Baxter International has a one year low of $28.33 and a one year high of $44.01. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.67 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 5.05% and a positive return on equity of 16.67%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 2.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Argus upgraded Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target 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. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Baxter International in a report on Wednesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $39.00.

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.