Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Given New $19.00 Price Target at Stifel Nicolaus

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus cut its price target on Baxter from $20 to $19 (implying roughly a 10.1% upside), and analysts have generally trimmed targets with MarketBeat showing a consensus rating of Reduce and an average price target near $19.91.
• Baxter posted a Q1 beat—$0.36 EPS vs. $0.31 expected and $2.70B revenue vs. $2.62B—driven by strong medical products demand, but margins contracted and EPS declined year‑over‑year, which tempers investor enthusiasm.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by stock analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $20.00 to $19.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. Stifel Nicolaus' price objective would suggest a potential upside of 10.11% from the stock's current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on BAX. Evercore decreased their target price on Baxter International from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered Baxter International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Baxter International from $17.00 to $19.00 in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Baxter International in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Baxter International from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Baxter International has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $19.91.

Baxter International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BAX opened at $17.26 on Friday. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $15.73 and a 12 month high of $32.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.91 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.31 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The company's fifty day moving average price is $17.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.18.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $2.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.62 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 9.70% and a positive return on equity of 15.65%. Baxter International's revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.62 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Baxter International will post 1.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Baxter International during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International during the second quarter worth about $46,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International during the fourth quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, McMillan Office Inc. purchased a new position in Baxter International during the fourth quarter worth about $54,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.19% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Baxter International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on revenue and EPS — Baxter reported $0.36 EPS vs. consensus $0.31 and $2.70B in revenue (vs. $2.62B expected); top-line growth was driven by strong demand in its medical products & therapies unit. Baxter beats quarterly expectations on strong demand for medical devices
• Positive Sentiment: Overseas sales and segment strength supported the beat and were singled out on the call/presentation, which helped push shares higher initially. Baxter International Inc. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Management reiterated its 2026 growth views and emphasized execution improvements—this supports forward confidence but may not be enough to offset near-term margin concerns. Baxter Posts 1Q Loss, Backs 2026 Growth Views
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend update: Baxter declared a token quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share (annualized yield ~0.2%); modest cash return that is unlikely to drive significant share moves. (No link)
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed earnings call transcript and slide deck are available for investors who want granular guidance and margin commentary. Baxter International Inc. (BAX) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Margins contracted and net income metrics remain weak — EPS declined year-over-year (from $0.62 to $0.36) and commentary noted margin pressure, which caps enthusiasm despite the beat. BAX Stock Gains on Q1 Earnings & Sales Beat, Margins Contract
• Negative Sentiment: Evercore cut its price target for BAX (while keeping an Outperform rating), signaling analyst caution and likely weighing on the stock. Evercore Cuts Baxter (BAX) Price Target, Keeps Outperform Rating

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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