Q3 EPS Forecast for Baxter International Cut by Analyst

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q3 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Baxter International in a research report issued on Thursday, March 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the medical instruments supplier will post earnings of $0.65 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.71. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” 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 $2.08 EPS.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on BAX. Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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 report on Friday, December 12th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Baxter International from $30.00 to $25.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Baxter International from $19.00 to $15.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Baxter International in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $20.10.

Baxter International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BAX opened at $17.91 on Monday. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average of $20.14 and a 200 day moving average of $20.78. The firm has a market cap of $9.21 billion, a PE ratio of -9.68, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.58. Baxter International has a one year low of $17.00 and a one year high of $37.74.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.09). The business 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.58 earnings per share. Baxter International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.850-2.050 EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its holdings in Baxter International by 25.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 2,200,860 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $50,114,000 after acquiring an additional 450,350 shares during the last quarter. Greenhaven Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Baxter International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $143,186,000. Cullen Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cullen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,651,542 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $50,009,000 after purchasing an additional 155,415 shares during the last quarter. Stoneridge Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the third quarter valued at approximately $2,128,000. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Baxter International by 20.6% in the second quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 574,700 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $17,402,000 after purchasing an additional 98,000 shares in the last quarter. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

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

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.