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

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 Trading Up 7.8 %

Shares of BAX traded up $2.39 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $33.21. 2,061,755 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,565,452. The stock has a market cap of $16.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 165.77, a P/E/G ratio of 9.95 and a beta of 0.61. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $30.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.15. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $28.33 and a 12 month high of $44.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

Baxter International Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.