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

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) updated 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 earnings per share 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.

Baxter International Stock Down 2.1%

BAX opened at $26.20 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $21.34 and a 200 day moving average of $19.61. The company has a market cap of $13.53 billion, a PE ratio of -12.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.62. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $15.73 and a 12 month high of $30.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.19. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 9.27% and a positive return on equity of 16.40%. The business had revenue of $2.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.59 EPS. Baxter International’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Baxter International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.150 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Baxter International will post 1.92 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 28th will be given a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 28th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Baxter International’s payout ratio is -1.93%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BAX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Baxter International from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Baxter International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Barclays lifted their target price on Baxter International from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup upgraded Baxter International from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their price target for the company from $17.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Baxter International currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $22.45.

Trending Headlines about Baxter International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong second-quarter results: Baxter reported adjusted earnings of $0.56 per share, well above the $0.36–$0.37 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 5.3% year over year to $2.96 billion versus expectations near $2.80 billion. Growth was supported by demand for IV solutions and drug-compounding products. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Raised 2026 outlook: Management increased full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $1.95–$2.15 from its prior range of $1.85–$2.05 and projected revenue of $11.6 billion–$11.7 billion, above the roughly $11.4 billion consensus. The update reflected operating momentum and an additional tariff refund benefit. Baxter second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: More favorable analyst stance: Citigroup upgraded BAX from “sell” to “neutral” and raised its price target to $28 from $17, indicating that the turnaround and recovery outlook have improved.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo remains cautious: Wells Fargo raised its target to $23 from $19 but maintained an “equal weight” rating. The new target remains below the stock’s recent trading level, highlighting valuation concerns despite better fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend maintained: Baxter declared a quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share, or $0.04 annualized, representing a yield of approximately 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is August 28, with payment scheduled for October 1.
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking and margin concerns: Shares had surged following the earnings beat and guidance increase, and the subsequent pullback may reflect profit-taking. Adjusted earnings still declined from $0.59 per share a year earlier, while margin pressure, tariffs, manufacturing costs and Baxter’s negative net margin remain risks.

Institutional Trading of Baxter International

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of BAX. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury increased its position in shares of Baxter International by 99.1% in the fourth quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 111,858 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,245,000 after purchasing an additional 55,674 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC lifted its position in Baxter International by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 15,968 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $305,000 after purchasing an additional 854 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Baxter International by 35.6% in 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 increased its holdings in shares of Baxter International by 5.4% in 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 position in shares of Baxter International in the 4th quarter worth $748,000. Institutional investors own 90.19% of the company’s stock.

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.