Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Shares Sold by Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc.

Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its position in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 39,819 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,857 shares during the quarter. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $1,161,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allstate Corp purchased a new stake in Baxter International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $450,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Sound Shore Management Inc. CT acquired a new position in Baxter International during the fourth quarter worth $72,450,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in Baxter International in the fourth quarter worth $5,104,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its holdings in Baxter International by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 13,618 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $397,000 after acquiring an additional 752 shares during the period. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Baxter International Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of BAX stock opened at $33.76 on Friday. Baxter International Inc. has a 1 year low of $28.34 and a 1 year high of $43.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.27 billion, a PE ratio of -26.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $33.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $33.69. 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 data on Thursday, February 20th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 5.05% and a positive return on equity of 16.67%. The company had revenue of $2.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.67 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -53.13%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.