Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Price Target Raised to $25.00

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised Baxter International’s price target from $23 to $25 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, implying 10.89% upside from the prior close. MarketBeat’s consensus rating is “Reduce,” with an average target of $22.45.
• Baxter’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $0.58 versus $0.52 expected and revenue of $2.98 billion versus $2.91 billion; revenue rose 5% year over year.
• The company faces mixed signals: institutional investors own 90.19% of shares, but an FDA warning letter citing cGMP violations could raise compliance costs and disrupt operations.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $23.00 to $25.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "equal weight" rating on the medical instruments supplier's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 10.89% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Barclays began coverage on Baxter International in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $20.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Baxter International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, October 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Baxter International from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Baxter International from $19.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Baxter International currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $22.45.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BAX traded down $0.96 on Friday, reaching $22.54. 5,867,234 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,808,448. Baxter International has a twelve month low of $15.73 and a twelve month high of $30.00. The company has a fifty day moving average of $24.65 and a 200-day moving average of $21.35. The company has a market capitalization of $11.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.89, a PEG ratio of 3.85 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.95, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 9.27% and a positive return on equity of 16.57%. The firm had revenue of $2.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.91 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.69 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Baxter International will post 2.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,744,874,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Baxter International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,392,098,000. Equity Investment Corp purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 2nd quarter worth $146,815,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Baxter International during the second quarter valued at $132,993,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Baxter International in the second quarter valued at about $68,036,000. Institutional investors own 90.19% of the company's stock.

Baxter International News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Baxter International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Baxter reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.58 per share and revenue of $2.98 billion, exceeding analyst estimates of $0.52 and $2.91 billion, respectively. Revenue increased 5% year over year, supported by broad-based segment growth. Baxter International Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year 2026 earnings outlook, signaling confidence in demand and operating performance. The guidance increase is supportive for the stock, although ongoing margin pressure remains a concern. Baxter Raises 2026 Earnings Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Baxter declared a quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share, payable January 4 to shareholders of record November 27. The annualized yield is approximately 0.2%, so the payment provides limited income support for investors. Baxter Raises Guidance and Declares Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: The company received an FDA warning letter citing cGMP violations. The notice could increase compliance costs, require remediation, and create risks to manufacturing or product approvals, potentially offsetting the benefit of the earnings beat and higher guidance. Baxter Received FDA Warning Letter Over cGMP Violations

Baxter International Company Profile

Baxter International Inc is a global medical products and healthcare technology company headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. The company develops, manufactures and distributes products used in hospitals, clinics, ambulatory care centers and other healthcare settings.

Baxter's portfolio has included intravenous therapies and administration systems, infusion pumps, connected-care technologies, surgical products, patient monitoring equipment and products used in medication preparation and delivery.

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