Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.950-2.150 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.920. The company issued revenue guidance of $11.6 billion-$11.7 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $11.4 billion.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Baxter International from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Baxter International from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Baxter International from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Baxter International from $19.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Evercore dropped their price target 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $21.09.

Baxter International Stock Up 1.4%

BAX stock opened at $24.71 on Thursday. Baxter International has a 52 week low of $15.73 and a 52 week high of $28.94. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $19.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The company has a market cap of $12.76 billion, a PE ratio of -11.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 0.62.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $2.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.80 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 9.70% and a positive return on equity of 16.15%. Baxter International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 1.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More Baxter International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Baxter reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.56 per share, well above the $0.37 analyst consensus, while revenue of $2.96 billion topped expectations of $2.80 billion. Management cited solid operating performance and an additional tariff refund as contributors to the upside. Baxter Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised or reaffirmed a stronger 2026 outlook, calling for earnings of $1.95 to $2.15 per share and revenue of $11.6 billion to $11.7 billion. Both ranges are above current analyst expectations of approximately $1.92 EPS and $11.4 billion in revenue, supporting the positive market reaction. Baxter International Raises Outlook After Strong Second Quarter
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have recently lifted their price targets, including UBS to $25 from $19 and Stifel to $24 from $19, reflecting improved expectations following Baxter’s operating performance. UBS Raises Baxter Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite higher targets, UBS, Stifel and TD Cowen maintain neutral or hold ratings, indicating that much of the improved outlook may already be reflected in BAX’s valuation. TD Cowen Adjusts Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Baxter recalled certain antibiotic intravenous bags after cardboard particles were found in the solution. The recall creates potential reputational, regulatory and financial risks, although the strong earnings report appears to be the more immediate stock catalyst. Baxter Antibiotic IV Bag Recall

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury boosted its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 99.1% in the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 111,858 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,245,000 after purchasing an additional 55,674 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 15,968 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $305,000 after buying an additional 854 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 35.6% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 3,410,689 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $65,216,000 after buying an additional 894,761 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its position in shares of Baxter International by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 49,035 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $937,000 after buying an additional 2,496 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Baxter International during the 4th quarter worth $748,000. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.