Baxter cut to Neutral at Goldman Sachs after earnings miss, guidance cut

Goldman Sachs downgraded Baxter (BAX) to Neutral from Buy with a price target of $25, down from $37. The firm’s thesis on Baxter had centered on a recovery in the company’s IV therapies business following business disruption in 2024, a a cyclical margin recovery on waning inflationary pressures and improving mix, and deleveraging following the sale to the company’s dialysis business earlier this year, but based on year-to-date results, all of these factors look to be deferred, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The pace of margin expansion at Baxter is likely to progress at a more measured pace, the firm added.