Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish on Baxter International Stock?

Core Insights - Baxter International Inc. has a market capitalization of $9.5 billion and specializes in medical products and therapies, focusing on renal care, medication delivery, and pharmaceuticals [1] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, Baxter's stock has decreased by 48.5%, significantly underperforming the S&P 500 Index, which gained 17.7% during the same period [2] - Year-to-date, Baxter's stock has fallen 36.7%, while the S&P 500 has risen by 16.3% [2] Sector Comparison - Baxter's shares have also underperformed compared to the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund, which saw a 2.6% drop over the past 52 weeks [3] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Baxter reported an adjusted EPS of $0.69, which was better than expected, but the stock plunged 14.5% due to revenue of $2.84 billion missing forecasts [4] - The company has cut its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $2.35 - $2.40 and reduced expected sales growth to 4% - 5% due to hurricane-related disruptions [4] Analyst Expectations - Analysts expect Baxter's adjusted EPS for the current fiscal year to grow by 24.9% year-over-year to $2.36 [5] - The consensus rating among 16 analysts covering the stock is a "Hold," with two "Strong Buy" ratings, 13 "Holds," and one "Moderate Sell" [5] Price Target Adjustments - Goldman Sachs has cut Baxter's price target to $22 while maintaining a "Neutral" rating [7] - The mean price target of $26.77 suggests a 44.9% premium to the current price, while the highest price target of $40 indicates a potential upside of 116.6% [7]