Q3 EPS Forecast for Baxter International Boosted by Analyst

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised Baxter International’s Q3 2026 EPS forecast to $0.53 from $0.50, while projecting $2.06 EPS for FY2026 and $2.07 for FY2027.
• Baxter’s latest quarter beat expectations, reporting $0.56 EPS versus the $0.37 consensus and $2.96 billion in revenue versus the $2.80 billion estimate; revenue increased 5.3% year over year.
• Despite the improved earnings outlook, Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating, in line with the broader consensus, which includes an average price target of $22.45. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Free Report) - Research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for Baxter International in a note issued to investors on Monday, September 7th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the medical instruments supplier will earn $0.53 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.50. Zacks Research has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Baxter International's current full-year earnings is $2.04 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Baxter International's FY2026 earnings at $2.06 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.45 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.59 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.07 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.43 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $0.52 EPS.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.19. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 16.57% and a negative net margin of 9.27%.The business had revenue of $2.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.59 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Baxter International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.150 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on BAX. Weiss Ratings upgraded Baxter International from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Baxter International from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Baxter International from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $22.45.

Baxter International Trading Down 3.7%

BAX opened at $24.87 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Baxter International has a 52 week low of $15.73 and a 52 week high of $30.00. The stock has a market cap of $12.86 billion, a PE ratio of -12.01, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.60. The business has a 50 day moving average of $24.87 and a 200-day moving average of $20.78.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 28th will be given a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 28th. Baxter International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1.93%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Baxter International by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 52,436 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,588,000 after purchasing an additional 1,604 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 2.9% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 649,463 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $19,666,000 after buying an additional 18,439 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 1.3% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 7,638,629 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $231,304,000 after buying an additional 97,687 shares during the last quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S increased its position in shares of Baxter International by 21.4% during the second quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 24,356 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $737,000 after acquiring an additional 4,293 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its position in Baxter International by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 53,933 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,633,000 after acquiring an additional 2,813 shares in the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Baxter International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised multiple EPS forecasts. Zacks Research increased its Q3 2026 estimate to $0.53 from $0.50, FY2026 to $2.06 from $2.02, and FY2027 to $2.07 from $2.00. Estimates were also lifted for Q1 and Q2 2027 and Q4 2027, suggesting modestly improved confidence in Baxter’s earnings trajectory.
• Positive Sentiment: Improved company outlook supports the stock. Baxter raised its 2026 sales and earnings guidance after strong second-quarter growth. The company’s latest quarterly results also exceeded analyst expectations, with revenue growth helping offset some profitability pressure. BAX Raises 2026 Outlook as Strong Q2 Growth Offsets Margin Pressure
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating. While the estimate revisions are favorable, the rating indicates analysts see limited near-term upside or balanced risk. The current consensus forecast is approximately $2.04 in full-year EPS.
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term technical and relative-performance signals remain weak. Reports described BAX as trading sideways with limited technical upside, while the shares underperformed competitors in the latest session. Investors also remain focused on manufacturing costs, tariffs, pricing pressure and their effect on margins. Baxter International Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors

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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