Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Stock Gets Price Target Reduction from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) had its price target trimmed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $26.00 to $25.00 in a research note released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Baxter International from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Baxter International from $19.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Baxter International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Baxter International from $19.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Baxter International in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Baxter International currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $23.00.

Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BAX opened at $22.95 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $11.87 billion, a PE ratio of -16.28, a PEG ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. Baxter International has a 52-week low of $15.73 and a 52-week high of $30.00. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $24.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.37.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.06. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 6.23% and a positive return on equity of 16.23%. The firm had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.91 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.69 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Baxter International will post 2.10 EPS for the current year.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 27th will be paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 27th. Baxter International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -2.84%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Baxter International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BAX. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Baxter International during the second quarter worth approximately $1,744,874,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Baxter International in the 2nd quarter worth $1,392,098,000. Equity Investment Corp purchased a new position in Baxter International in the second quarter worth about $146,815,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Baxter International during the second quarter valued at $132,993,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the second quarter valued at about $68,036,000. 90.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Baxter International News Summary

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

About Baxter International

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.