JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Stock Price

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) had its price objective dropped by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $26.00 to $25.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 8.93% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Baxter International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Baxter International from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Baxter International from $19.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $23.00.

Baxter International Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of Baxter International stock traded down $0.55 on Friday, hitting $22.95. 11,809,880 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,841,937. Baxter International has a 52-week low of $15.73 and a 52-week high of $30.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The stock has a market cap of $11.87 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.09, a PEG ratio of 3.85 and a beta of 0.65. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $24.59 and its 200 day moving average is $21.37.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.91 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 9.27% and a positive return on equity of 16.57%. The business’s revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.69 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 2.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,390,000. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Baxter International by 13,741.9% during the third quarter. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,291 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 4,260 shares in the last quarter. One Way Holdings LLC bought a new stake in Baxter International during the third quarter worth approximately $588,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its holdings in Baxter International by 7.1% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 30,529 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $733,000 after purchasing an additional 2,031 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Baxter International in the third quarter worth approximately $3,173,000. 90.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Baxter International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Baxter reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.58 per share, exceeding the $0.52 analyst consensus, while revenue increased 5% year over year to $2.98 billion and topped expectations of $2.91 billion. Growth was described as broad-based across the company’s segments. Baxter Q3 Earnings Beat on Broad-Based Growth, 2026 Outlook Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year 2026 earnings outlook, signaling confidence in operating performance despite ongoing pressure on profitability. However, quarterly EPS remained below the $0.69 reported a year earlier. Baxter Raises 2026 Earnings Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target for BAX to $25 from $23, implying potential upside from recent trading levels. The firm maintained an “equal weight” rating, suggesting a constructive but cautious view. Wells Fargo Baxter Analyst Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Baxter declared a quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share, or $0.04 annualized. The approximately 0.2% yield provides minimal income support but maintains a cash-return program. Baxter Raises Guidance and Declares Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: The FDA issued Baxter a warning letter citing CGMP violations. The regulatory action could increase remediation costs, create operational disruptions, and raise concerns about compliance and product quality. Baxter Received FDA Warning Letter

Baxter International Company Profile

Baxter International Inc is a global medical products and healthcare technology company headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. The company develops, manufactures and distributes products used in hospitals, clinics, ambulatory care centers and other healthcare settings.

Baxter’s portfolio has included intravenous therapies and administration systems, infusion pumps, connected-care technologies, surgical products, patient monitoring equipment and products used in medication preparation and delivery.