Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Price Target Lowered to $17.00 at The Goldman Sachs Group

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) had its price objective lowered by investment analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $21.00 to $17.00 in a research report issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price target points to a potential downside of 14.15% from the company’s current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Baxter International in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $21.00 to $19.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $26.00 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Evercore dropped their price target on Baxter International from $24.00 to $23.00 in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $20.10.

Baxter International Trading Up 5.8%

NYSE:BAX opened at $19.80 on Friday. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $17.40 and a 12 month high of $37.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The firm has a market cap of $10.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.59. The company’s 50 day moving average is $19.79 and its 200-day moving average is $21.26.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.09). The firm had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.82 billion. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 16.31% and a negative net margin of 8.51%.Baxter International’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.58 earnings per share. Baxter International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.850-2.050 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 2.48 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BAX. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Baxter International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Baxter International in the second quarter worth $27,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Baxter International during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. MTM Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 169.6% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 984 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 619 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Baxter International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays kept an “overweight” rating and set a $25 price target (still a meaningful upside vs current levels), which can attract buyers and help stabilize the stock. Barclays adjusts Baxter International price target to $25 from $30, maintains overweight rating
• Positive Sentiment: Baxter reported revenue of $2.97B (beat estimates) and sales growth across segments, which some investors see as evidence demand is intact despite margin stress — a reason for selective buying into the dip. Baxter Reports Fourth-Quarter 2025 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Elevated short interest has been reported, which can amplify moves (short covering can fuel rallies but also increases volatility). That dynamic may explain some of today’s upside but is not a fundamental improvement. Looking Into Baxter International Inc’s Recent Short Interest
• Neutral Sentiment: Baxter declared a nominal quarterly dividend ($0.01 per share); it’s unlikely to move the stock materially but provides a small income signal to some investors.
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed expectations ($0.44 vs. $0.53 consensus) and margins contracted — the earnings miss triggered the initial sell?off and remains a negative catalyst. Baxter Posts Wider 4Q Loss, Says Results Missed Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: FY?2026 EPS guidance (1.85–2.05) came in below Wall Street expectations (consensus ~2.28), largely blamed on manufacturing disruptions from Hurricane Helene — a clear reason for ongoing investor caution. Baxter forecast 2026 profit below estimates The Specter of Hurricane Helene Still Haunts Baxter’s Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts trimmed price targets and some ratings were reduced (Jefferies lowered its PT to $19 and kept a “hold”), signaling lingering analyst concern and pressure on sentiment. Jefferies adjusts Baxter International PT to $19 from $21, maintains hold rating
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators highlight margin compression, higher debt levels and the company’s difficult FY26 outlook — factors that could limit recovery until management proves margin improvement. Baxter International: Debt, Margin Pressure, Dreadful FY26 Guidance (Downgrade)

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.