Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. Has $3.17 Million Stock Position in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. decreased its position in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 29.8% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 81,871 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 34,766 shares during the period. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $3,165,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV boosted its stake in shares of Baxter International by 17.0% during the fourth quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 1,797 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares in the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its position in Baxter International by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 4,586 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $177,000 after buying an additional 372 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in Baxter International by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,222 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $202,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its position in Baxter International by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 4,774 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $180,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares during the period. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 76.6% during the fourth quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 1,439 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of Baxter International stock opened at $35.75 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $41.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.88, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.01. Baxter International Inc. has a one year low of $31.01 and a one year high of $50.21.

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

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 31st. Baxter International’s payout ratio is presently 22.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BAX has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 19th. UBS Group decreased their price target 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Baxter International from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. Finally, 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 report on Monday, February 12th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Baxter International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.30.

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.