Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Sets New 12-Month Low – Here’s What Happened

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $16.97 and last traded at $17.0250, with a volume of 4379507 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $17.40.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BAX has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Baxter International from $19.00 to $15.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Baxter International from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $21.00 to $19.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Zacks Research raised Baxter International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Baxter International from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.90.

Baxter International Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 2.31. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $20.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $20.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.80 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.58.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $2.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.82 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 8.51% and a positive return on equity of 16.95%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.58 EPS. Baxter International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.850-2.050 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Baxter International Inc. will post 2.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio is currently -2.16%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Baxter International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Baxter International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. MTM Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Baxter International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new position in Baxter International in the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Baxter International Company Profile

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.