Stifel Nicolaus Cuts Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Price Target to $19.00

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) had its price objective dropped by Stifel Nicolaus from $20.00 to $19.00 in a report issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. Stifel Nicolaus’ price target suggests a potential upside of 10.11% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Baxter International in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $17.00 to $19.00 in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Baxter International from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Baxter International currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $19.91.

Baxter International Stock Down 1.8%

BAX opened at $17.26 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.31 and a quick ratio of 1.56. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $15.73 and a 12 month high of $32.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.91 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.62. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $17.92 and a 200-day simple moving average of $19.18.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $2.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.62 billion. Baxter International had a positive return on equity of 15.65% and a negative net margin of 9.70%.Baxter International’s quarterly revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.62 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 1.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Baxter International during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, McMillan Office Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Baxter International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Baxter International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on revenue and EPS — Baxter reported $0.36 EPS vs. consensus $0.31 and $2.70B in revenue (vs. $2.62B expected); top-line growth was driven by strong demand in its medical products & therapies unit. Baxter beats quarterly expectations on strong demand for medical devices
• Positive Sentiment: Overseas sales and segment strength supported the beat and were singled out on the call/presentation, which helped push shares higher initially. Baxter International Inc. 2026 Q1 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Management reiterated its 2026 growth views and emphasized execution improvements—this supports forward confidence but may not be enough to offset near-term margin concerns. Baxter Posts 1Q Loss, Backs 2026 Growth Views
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend update: Baxter declared a token quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share (annualized yield ~0.2%); modest cash return that is unlikely to drive significant share moves. (No link)
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed earnings call transcript and slide deck are available for investors who want granular guidance and margin commentary. Baxter International Inc. (BAX) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Margins contracted and net income metrics remain weak — EPS declined year-over-year (from $0.62 to $0.36) and commentary noted margin pressure, which caps enthusiasm despite the beat. BAX Stock Gains on Q1 Earnings & Sales Beat, Margins Contract
• Negative Sentiment: Evercore cut its price target for BAX (while keeping an Outperform rating), signaling analyst caution and likely weighing on the stock. Evercore Cuts Baxter (BAX) Price Target, Keeps Outperform Rating

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.