Q4 EPS Forecast for Baxter International Boosted by Analyst

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised Baxter International’s Q4 2026 EPS forecast to $0.62 from $0.60, while maintaining a “Hold” rating. The consensus estimate for full-year earnings is $2.04 per share.
• Baxter’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with EPS of $0.56 versus the $0.37 consensus and revenue of $2.96 billion, up 5.3% year over year. Management’s FY2026 EPS guidance remains $1.95–$2.15.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Baxter has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $22.45, despite several analysts raising their targets. The stock recently traded at $24.47, down 1.6%.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q4 2026 EPS estimates for Baxter International in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, September 7th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the medical instruments supplier will earn $0.62 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.60. 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 Q3 2027 earnings at $0.53 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.15 EPS.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $2.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.80 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 9.27% and a positive return on equity of 16.57%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.59 EPS. Baxter International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.150 EPS.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Baxter International from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. UBS Group boosted their target price on Baxter International from $19.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Baxter International from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Baxter International from $19.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $22.45.

Baxter International Trading Down 1.6%

Baxter International stock opened at $24.47 on Thursday. 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 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.65 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.82, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.60. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $24.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $20.80.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in Baxter International during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Baxter International in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Baxter International in the 2nd quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC boosted its holdings in Baxter International by 52.4% in the 2nd quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 2,153 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 740 shares during the period. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Baxter International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised several earnings estimates. Forecasts increased for Q3 2026 EPS to $0.53 from $0.50, FY2026 EPS to $2.06 from $2.02, and FY2027 EPS to $2.07 from $2.00. Estimates for multiple 2027 and 2028 quarters were also raised, signaling somewhat better expected profitability. Baxter International analyst estimate updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presented at the Wells Fargo 21st Annual Healthcare Conference. The transcript may provide additional context on Baxter’s strategy and operating outlook, but the provided information does not identify a major new announcement, change to guidance, or catalyst. Baxter International Wells Fargo healthcare conference transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Technical signals point to limited near-term upside. A report described BAX as trading sideways, suggesting investors may be waiting for a stronger fundamental catalyst before bidding the shares higher. Baxter International technical outlook
• Negative Sentiment: BAX underperformed competing stocks. Relative weakness versus peers can pressure investor sentiment, particularly when the broader medical-instruments group is performing better. Baxter International peer performance

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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