Q3 EPS Estimate for Baxter International Raised by Analyst

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) – Zacks Research lifted their Q3 2027 earnings estimates for Baxter International in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the medical instruments supplier will post earnings per share of $0.71 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $0.70. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Baxter International’s current full-year earnings is $2.48 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Baxter International’s FY2027 earnings at $2.50 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on BAX. Barclays decreased their price objective on Baxter International from $36.00 to $30.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Argus lowered shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $26.00 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Baxter International in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Baxter International presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $21.40.

Baxter International Trading Up 1.8%

NYSE BAX opened at $20.07 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $10.32 billion, a PE ratio of -30.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.59. Baxter International has a one year low of $17.40 and a one year high of $37.74. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $19.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.84.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $2.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.88 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 3.09% and a positive return on equity of 17.38%. Baxter International’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.80 EPS. Baxter International has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.520-0.570 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 2.350-2.400 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dodge & Cox grew its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 57,396,370 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,306,915,000 after acquiring an additional 5,274,750 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Baxter International by 2.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,882,960 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $388,416,000 after purchasing an additional 326,652 shares during the last quarter. Greenhaven Associates Inc. increased its position in shares of Baxter International by 70.0% in the fourth quarter. Greenhaven Associates Inc. now owns 10,693,223 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $204,347,000 after buying an additional 4,404,874 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of Baxter International by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 7,638,629 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $231,304,000 after buying an additional 97,687 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Baxter International by 32.4% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,515,928 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $57,243,000 after buying an additional 615,100 shares in the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Baxter International Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, November 28th were issued a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Baxter International’s payout ratio is currently -6.06%.

Baxter International News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks slightly raised its Q3 2027 EPS estimate to $0.71 from $0.70, a tiny upward tweak but with limited offsetting impact because Zacks still carries a “Strong Sell” view.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also nudged FY2027 EPS to $2.50 from $2.49 — again a marginal improvement to estimates but not enough to change the analyst stance.
• Neutral Sentiment: MarketWatch notes BAX has shown daily gains but is underperforming competitors, highlighting mixed short‑term price action versus peer group performance. Baxter underperforms despite gains
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded Baxter from a “Hold” to a “Strong Sell,” a material change in analyst tone that typically weighs on the stock. Read more on Zacks. Zacks downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed its Q4 2027 EPS forecast to $0.62 from $0.63, and cut Q3 2026 EPS to $0.59 from $0.60 — multiple small downgrades that lower near-term earnings expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced FY2026 EPS to $2.17 from $2.18, contributing to downward revision momentum across short- and medium-term guidance assumptions.
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage consensus moved toward a “Reduce” rating on BAX (average broker recommendation reported as “Reduce”), reinforcing negative market sentiment and likely pressuring the stock. Brokerages recommend Reduce

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.