Wells Fargo & Company Boosts Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Price Target to $23.00

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised Baxter International’s price target from $19 to $23 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, implying 12.59% downside from the stock’s prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with an average “Reduce” rating and consensus price target of $22.45; recent targets range from $21 to $27.
• Baxter’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, reporting $0.56 in EPS and $2.96 billion in revenue, up 5.3% year over year. Shares traded at $26.31, while profitability concerns persist despite improved guidance.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) had its target price upped by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $19.00 to $23.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "equal weight" rating on the medical instruments supplier's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price target would indicate a potential downside of 12.59% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on BAX. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price 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. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Baxter International from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. UBS Group increased their price objective on Baxter International from $19.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday. Barclays boosted their target price on Baxter International from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Baxter International from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Two investment 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 presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $22.45.

Baxter International Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:BAX traded down $0.44 during trading on Friday, hitting $26.31. 1,122,387 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,333,546. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $21.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $19.56. Baxter International has a 1-year low of $15.73 and a 1-year high of $30.00. The firm has a market cap of $13.59 billion, a P/E ratio of -12.39, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX - Get Free Report) last released 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. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 9.70% and a positive return on equity of 16.15%. The business had revenue of $2.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.59 EPS. The firm's quarterly 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. Equities analysts predict that Baxter International will post 1.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in Baxter International by 3.2% during the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 52,436 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,588,000 after acquiring an additional 1,604 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in shares of Baxter International by 2.9% in 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 purchasing an additional 18,439 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake 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 worth $231,304,000 after purchasing an additional 97,687 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S increased its stake 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 worth $737,000 after purchasing an additional 4,293 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in Baxter International by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 53,933 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,633,000 after purchasing an additional 2,813 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company's stock.

More Baxter International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings and revenue beat expectations: Baxter reported adjusted EPS of $0.56 versus the approximately $0.36–$0.37 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $2.96 billion, above the $2.80–$2.84 billion forecast. Sales rose 5.3% year over year. Baxter Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 guidance was raised: Baxter now expects full-year EPS of $1.95–$2.15, above its prior outlook and analysts’ roughly $1.92 estimate. Revenue guidance of $11.6–$11.7 billion also exceeds consensus near $11.4 billion. The company cited operating momentum and an unexpected tariff refund. Baxter raises annual profit forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup upgraded BAX: Citi moved its rating from “sell” to “neutral” and raised its price target from $17 to $28, signaling that the recent operational improvement has reduced downside risk.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Although fundamentals and recovery prospects are improving, broader analyst coverage is generally neutral, and the stock has historically underperformed the market. Other recent targets include $24, $25 and $27.
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability remains a concern: Adjusted earnings declined from $0.59 a year earlier, while margins contracted amid tariff and cost pressures. Baxter also maintains a negative net margin, so investors will likely monitor whether the improved outlook translates into sustained earnings growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend remains minimal: Baxter declared a quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share, equivalent to an annualized yield of roughly 0.2%, providing little income support for the stock.

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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