Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) Stock Rating Lowered by Argus

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) was downgraded by equities researchers at Argus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on BAX. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Baxter International from $35.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Baxter International in a research note on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $25.00 price objective (down previously from $36.00) on shares of Baxter International in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Baxter International from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Baxter International from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $23.70.

Baxter International Price Performance

Shares of Baxter International stock opened at $18.47 on Friday. Baxter International has a 52-week low of $18.42 and a 52-week high of $37.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -61.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a fifty day moving average of $23.14 and a 200-day moving average of $26.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.30.

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.09. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 1.42% and a positive return on equity of 16.96%. The company had revenue of $2.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.88 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.80 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Baxter International has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.520-0.570 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 2.350-2.400 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Baxter International will post 2.48 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in shares of Baxter International in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Rossby Financial LCC bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of Baxter International by 169.6% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 984 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 619 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MTM Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Baxter International in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. 90.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Baxter International Company Profile

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.