Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.06 EPS

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06, Zacks reports. Baxter International had a return on equity of 18.30% and a net margin of 0.77%. Baxter International updated its FY 2025 guidance to 2.450-2.550 EPS and its Q1 2025 guidance to 0.470-0.500 EPS.

Baxter International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BAX traded up $2.39 on Thursday, hitting $33.21. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,061,755 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,565,452. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The company has a market capitalization of $16.96 billion, a PE ratio of 165.77, a PEG ratio of 9.95 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.15. Baxter International has a 1 year low of $28.33 and a 1 year high of $44.01.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.05%. Baxter International’s payout ratio is currently 340.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BAX shares. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Baxter International from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 11th. Barclays initiated coverage on Baxter International in a research note on Thursday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $39.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Baxter International from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Baxter International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Baxter International has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $39.40.

About Baxter International

Baxter International Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Medical Products and Therapies, Healthcare Systems and Technologies, Pharmaceuticals, and Kidney Care. The company offers sterile intravenous (IV) solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition therapies; generic injectable pharmaceuticals; surgical hemostat and sealant products, advanced surgical equipment; smart bed systems; patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies; and respiratory health devices, as well as advanced equipment for the surgical space, including surgical video technologies, precision positioning devices, and other accessories.