Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Buy Rating

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

BAX has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Baxter International from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $19.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Baxter International from a "sell (e+)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Evercore cut their target price on 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, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Baxter International from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Baxter International currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $22.45.

Baxter International Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of NYSE BAX opened at $26.20 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.53 billion, a P/E ratio of -12.66, a PEG ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.62. The stock's fifty day moving average is $21.34 and its 200 day moving average is $19.61. Baxter International has a 52 week low of $15.73 and a 52 week high of $30.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.85.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $2.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.80 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 9.27% and a positive return on equity of 16.40%. Baxter International's revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.59 earnings per share. Baxter International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Baxter International will post 1.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

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

Baxter International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong second-quarter results: Baxter reported adjusted earnings of $0.56 per share, well above the $0.36–$0.37 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 5.3% year over year to $2.96 billion versus expectations near $2.80 billion. Growth was supported by demand for IV solutions and drug-compounding products. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Raised 2026 outlook: Management increased full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $1.95–$2.15 from its prior range of $1.85–$2.05 and projected revenue of $11.6 billion–$11.7 billion, above the roughly $11.4 billion consensus. The update reflected operating momentum and an additional tariff refund benefit. Baxter second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: More favorable analyst stance: Citigroup upgraded BAX from “sell” to “neutral” and raised its price target to $28 from $17, indicating that the turnaround and recovery outlook have improved.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo remains cautious: Wells Fargo raised its target to $23 from $19 but maintained an “equal weight” rating. The new target remains below the stock’s recent trading level, highlighting valuation concerns despite better fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend maintained: Baxter declared a quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share, or $0.04 annualized, representing a yield of approximately 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is August 28, with payment scheduled for October 1.
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking and margin concerns: Shares had surged following the earnings beat and guidance increase, and the subsequent pullback may reflect profit-taking. Adjusted earnings still declined from $0.59 per share a year earlier, while margin pressure, tariffs, manufacturing costs and Baxter’s negative net margin remain risks.

Baxter International Company Profile

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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