Wintrust Investments LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

Wintrust Investments LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) by 15.3% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 9,876 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,790 shares during the period. Wintrust Investments LLC’s holdings in Baxter International were worth $450,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RFP Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Baxter International during the second quarter valued at about $36,000. Ancora Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 29.2% during the first quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 1,351 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $114,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. KB Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Baxter International during the first quarter valued at about $81,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 50.7% during the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 2,063 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $94,000 after acquiring an additional 694 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 1,295.4% during the first quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 2,121 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $86,000 after acquiring an additional 1,969 shares during the last quarter. 85.47% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BAX has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $35.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 24th. StockNews.com raised shares of Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $49.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 31st. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $45.00 to $41.00 in a research note on Monday, October 2nd. Finally, KeyCorp decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $53.00 to $51.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 31st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $47.25.

Baxter International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BAX opened at $35.46 on Friday. Baxter International Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $31.01 and a fifty-two week high of $56.92. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $35.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $40.74. The company has a market capitalization of $17.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.94.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 30th. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio is 22.75%.

Baxter International Company Profile

Baxter International Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company offers peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis, and additional dialysis therapies and services; intravenous therapies, infusion pumps, administration sets, and drug reconstitution devices; premixed and oncology drug platforms, inhaled anesthesia and critical care products and pharmacy compounding services; parenteral nutrition therapies and related products; biological products and medical devices used in surgical procedures for hemostasis, tissue sealing and adhesion prevention; and continuous renal replacement therapies and other organ support therapies focused in the intensive care unit.