Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Price Target Raised to $24.00

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) had its price target upped by Stifel Nicolaus from $19.00 to $24.00 in a research note published on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a hold rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Citigroup lowered Baxter International from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $19.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Zacks Research lowered Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Baxter International from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Evercore lowered their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $21.09.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of BAX stock opened at $26.65 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The company has a market cap of $13.76 billion, a PE ratio of -12.51, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.62. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $21.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $19.56. Baxter International has a 52 week low of $15.73 and a 52 week high of $30.00.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $2.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.59 EPS. The firm’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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 1.91 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Baxter International by 552.2% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,413 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 2,043 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Baxter International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Baxter reported second-quarter EPS of $0.56, ahead of the $0.36-$0.37 consensus range, while revenue rose 5.3% year over year to $2.96 billion versus estimates near $2.80 billion. Growth was broad-based across the company’s operating segments. Baxter Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 forecast. Full-year adjusted EPS guidance was increased to $1.95-$2.15 from the prior $1.85-$2.05 range, above the approximately $1.92 analyst consensus. Revenue guidance of $11.6-$11.7 billion also exceeded expectations near $11.4 billion. Baxter raises annual profit forecast on strong demand for IV solutions
• Positive Sentiment: Demand and operational momentum improved. Strong sales of IV solutions and drug-compounding products helped drive the beat. Baxter also received a tariff refund that provided an additional benefit not included in its earlier guidance, reinforcing the company’s turnaround narrative. Baxter raises annual profit forecast on strength in drug compounding business
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst support improved, but valuation expectations remain mixed. UBS raised its price target to $25, while recent targets have ranged from $17 to $27. This suggests increased confidence in the recovery but also uncertainty about how much of the improvement is sustainable.
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability remains a concern. Adjusted earnings declined from the year-ago period, and analysts noted contracting margins due to tariffs, inflation and manufacturing costs. The tariff refund may also represent a one-time benefit rather than recurring earnings growth. BAX Stock Gains on Q2 Earnings and Sales Beat, Margins Contract
• Negative Sentiment: A reported antibiotic recall could add product-quality and execution risk. Investors may monitor whether the issue leads to broader recalls, supply disruption or additional costs.

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.