Baxter International Inc. (BAX)
Baxter International is a global healthcare company that provides essential medical products like IV fluids, dialysis equipment, and surgical tools to hospitals.
Is Baxter International Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Baxter International is a global healthcare company that provides essential medical products like IV fluids, dialysis equipment, and surgical tools to hospitals.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Strong growth in medical technology demand
Loss of market share to competitors
What does Baxter International Inc. do?
Baxter makes the everyday medical supplies that keep hospitals running, from the fluids used in drips to machines that help patients with kidney failure. The bills get paid by selling these high-volume products to healthcare providers around the world. Much depends on their ability to turn a profit, since recent costs have weighed heavily on the bottom line.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and value, and weakest on quality.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 0.8% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 5% over the year
- !Carries a lot of debt - roughly 1.6x its equity
- Momentum screens high (76/100)
- Essential products that hospitals need regardless of the economy
- Lower volatility compared to the broader market
- Established global footprint in healthcare
- Quality screens low (16/100)
- Income screens low (23/100)
- Rising costs of raw materials and manufacturing
- Potential for further restructuring charges
- Heavy reliance on hospital budgets which can be squeezed by government policy
What do Baxter International Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Baxter International Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Baxter International Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Baxter International Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 0.8% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Baxter International Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Baxter International Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-29 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-30 | $0.37 | $0.56 | Beat +53% |
| 2026-04-30 | $0.31 | $0.36 | Beat +16% |
| 2026-02-12 | $0.54 | $0.44 | Missed -18% |
| 2025-10-30 | $0.60 | $0.69 | Beat +15% |
| 2025-07-31 | $0.61 | $0.59 | Missed -3% |
| 2025-05-01 | $0.48 | $0.55 | Beat +14% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Baxter International Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 4 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.What are the scenarios for Baxter International Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Baxter International Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Essential products that hospitals need regardless of the economy
- Lower volatility compared to the broader market
- Established global footprint in healthcare
- Currently operating at a loss
- Negative return on equity indicates inefficient use of shareholder capital
- Recent share price decline reflects investor caution
- Rising costs of raw materials and manufacturing
- Potential for further restructuring charges
- Heavy reliance on hospital budgets which can be squeezed by government policy
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A return to consistent, positive net profit margins
- Significant reduction in company debt levels
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.