Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) Given Average Rating of "Reduce" by Analysts

Key Points

• Baxter International has a consensus analyst rating of “Reduce” from 13 covering firms, with the average 12-month price target at about $19.91. The rating mix includes four sells, seven holds and two buys.
• Recent analyst moves were mixed: Goldman Sachs raised its target to $21 while keeping a neutral rating, but Zacks Research downgraded Baxter to Strong Sell and cut earnings estimates across several years.
• The stock has been active recently, trading up 5.5% to $23.36, while the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.36 and revenue of $2.70 billion, both ahead of expectations.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Reduce" by the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $19.9091.

Several research analysts have commented on BAX shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Baxter International from a "sell (e+)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Baxter International from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted 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. Evercore decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $22.00 to $20.00 in a report on Friday, May 1st.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in Baxter International by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 8,014 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $153,000 after buying an additional 695 shares during the period. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Baxter International by 22.8% in the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 4,452 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $85,000 after buying an additional 827 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Baxter International by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 15,968 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $305,000 after buying an additional 854 shares during the period. Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. increased its stake in shares of Baxter International by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. now owns 46,913 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $897,000 after acquiring an additional 943 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC lifted its position in Baxter International by 48.2% during the 4th quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 3,006 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 978 shares during the period. 90.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Baxter International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target on Baxter International to $21 from $19, signaling somewhat improved valuation expectations even though the firm kept a neutral rating. Baxter International NYSE: BAX Given New $21.00 Price Target at The Goldman Sachs Group
• Neutral Sentiment: News also highlighted that Baxter’s chart has formed a golden cross, a technical signal some traders view as constructive for near-term momentum. AbbVie vs Baxter: One Golden Cross Is Real, One Is a Trap
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut its earnings estimates for Baxter across multiple periods, including Q2 2026, FY2026, FY2027 and FY2028, while also downgrading the stock to Strong Sell, which suggests concerns about profit growth. Zacks.com downgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Baxter also updated its segment reporting structure and metrics, but the filing did not appear to include a major operating surprise. Baxter International Updates Segment Reporting Structure and Metrics

Baxter International Trading Up 5.5%

BAX opened at $23.36 on Friday. Baxter International has a one year low of $15.73 and a one year high of $29.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $19.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.97, a PEG ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.62.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $2.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.62 billion. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 16.15% and a negative net margin of 9.70%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.62 EPS. Analysts predict that Baxter International will post 1.91 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th were paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 29th. Baxter International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -1.88%.

About Baxter International

Baxter International Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of medical products, pharmaceutical therapies and biotechnology-based solutions. The company's primary business activities are organized around renal care, medication delivery, acute therapies, pharmacy automation, surgical care and biotechnology. Baxter's offerings are designed to support patient care in hospitals, dialysis centers, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities worldwide.

In the renal care segment, Baxter provides hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis systems, water treatment equipment and related disposables, including dialyzers, bloodlines and catheters.

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