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Baxter InternationalA
NYSE / Health Care Equipment & Services
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2026-08-18
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Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-18

Baxter Announces Early Tender Results and Upsizing of Previously Announced Cash Tender Offers

Business Wire
DEERFIELD, Ill., August 18, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) ("Baxter" or the "Company") today announced the early results of its previously announced cash tender offers (each, an "Offer" and collectively, the "Offers") for its validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) notes set forth below (collectively, the "Notes"). The Offers are being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated Aug. 4, 2026 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"), which sets forth a description of the terms of the Offers. In addition, the Company has exercised its previously disclosed right to amend the terms of the Offers to increase the aggregate purchase price (excluding accrued and unpaid interest, the "Offer Cap") for all Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offers from the previously announced Offer Cap of $500 million to $600 million. Except as described in this press release, the terms and conditions of the Offers set forth in the Offer to Purchase remain unchanged. The following table summarizes certain information regarding the Notes that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the Offers as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Aug. 17, 2026 (the "Early Tender Time"). Withdrawal rights for the Offers expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Aug. 17, 2026 (the "Withdrawal Deadline") and, accordingly, any Notes that were validly tendered in the Offers may no longer be withdrawn, except where additional withdrawal rights are required by law. The consideration to be paid for the Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offers will be determined at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on Aug. 18, 2026 (the "Price Determination Time") in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase by reference to a fixed spread for each of the Notes over the applicable yield to maturity of the applicable U.S. Treasury Security (the "Reference Treasury Security") specified on the cover page of the Offer to Purchase in the column entitled "Reference U.S. Treasury Security." Each holder who validly tendered and did not validly withdraw its Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Time and whose Notes are accepted for purchase will be eligible to receive the applicable "Total Consideration," which includes an early tender premium of $30 per $1,…Read full document

DEERFIELD, Ill., August 18, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) ("Baxter" or the "Company") today announced the early results of its previously announced cash tender offers (each, an "Offer" and collectively, the "Offers") for its validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) notes set forth below (collectively, the "Notes"). The Offers are being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated Aug. 4, 2026 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"), which sets forth a description of the terms of the Offers. In addition, the Company has exercised its previously disclosed right to amend the terms of the Offers to increase the aggregate purchase price (excluding accrued and unpaid interest, the "Offer Cap") for all Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offers from the previously announced Offer Cap of $500 million to $600 million. Except as described in this press release, the terms and conditions of the Offers set forth in the Offer to Purchase remain unchanged. The following table summarizes certain information regarding the Notes that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the Offers as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Aug. 17, 2026 (the "Early Tender Time"). Withdrawal rights for the Offers expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Aug. 17, 2026 (the "Withdrawal Deadline") and, accordingly, any Notes that were validly tendered in the Offers may no longer be withdrawn, except where additional withdrawal rights are required by law. The consideration to be paid for the Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offers will be determined at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on Aug. 18, 2026 (the "Price Determination Time") in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase by reference to a fixed spread for each of the Notes over the applicable yield to maturity of the applicable U.S. Treasury Security (the "Reference Treasury Security") specified on the cover page of the Offer to Purchase in the column entitled "Reference U.S. Treasury Security." Each holder who validly tendered and did not validly withdraw its Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Time and whose Notes are accepted for purchase will be eligible to receive the applicable "Total Consideration," which includes an early tender premium of $30 per $1,000 principal amount of Notes so tendered and accepted for purchase (the "Early Tender Premium"). The Early Tender Premium will be included in the Total Consideration for each series of Notes, and will not constitute an additional or increased payment. In addition, in each case, holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase will also receive any applicable accrued and unpaid interest on those Notes in accordance with DTC procedures, regardless of the record dates with respect to each series of Notes, payable on Aug. 20, 2026 (the "Early Settlement Date"). None of the Offers is conditioned on any of the other Offers or upon any minimum principal amount of Notes of any series being tendered. The Company expects to issue a press release on Aug. 18, 2026, announcing the Total Consideration payable in connection with the Offers. The Company expressly reserves the right, in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law, to: (i) terminate any or all of the Offers and not accept for purchase any of the Notes not theretofore accepted for purchase in the terminated Offer or Offers; (ii) waive any and all of the conditions to the Offers on or prior to the time the Notes are accepted for purchase in any or all of the Offers; (iii) accept for purchase and pay for all Notes validly tendered at or before the Early Tender Time and not validly withdrawn at or before the Withdrawal Deadline in any or all of the Offers; (iv) to keep any or all of the Offers open or extend the Early Tender Time, Withdrawal Deadline or time in which the Offers are scheduled to expire to a later date and time; (v) increase or decrease the Offer Cap or change the Acceptance Priority Levels; or (vi) otherwise amend the terms and conditions of the Offers. Information Relating to the Offers The Company’s obligation to purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Offers is subject to and conditioned upon the satisfaction of, or the Company’s waiver of, the conditions described in the Offer to Purchase. The Offer to Purchase was distributed to holders beginning Aug. 4, 2026. BofA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as lead dealer managers for the Offers and Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC and SG Americas Securities, LLC are acting as co-dealer managers for the Offers. Investors with questions regarding the Offers may contact BofA Securities, Inc. at (888) 292-0070 (toll-free) or (980) 388-0539 (collect), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at (866) 834-4666 (toll-free) or (212) 834-3554 (collect) or Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC at (800) 828-3182 (toll-free) or (212) 357-1452 (collect). D.F. King & Co., Inc. is the tender and information agent for the Offers and can be contacted at (800) 967-5051 (toll-free) or (646) 677-2521 (collect) and email at [email protected]. None of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates, their respective boards of directors, the Company’s management, the dealer managers, the tender and information agent, the trustee with respect to any series of Notes, any registrar, any paying agent or any of its or their affiliates, as applicable is making any recommendation as to whether holders should tender any securities in response to any of the Offers, and neither the Company nor any such other person has authorized any person to make any such recommendation. Holders of the Notes must make their own decisions as to whether to tender any of their securities, and, if so, the principal amount of securities to tender. The full details of the Offers, including complete instructions on how to tender the Notes, are included in the Offer to Purchase. Holders of the Notes are strongly encouraged to read carefully the Offer to Purchase, including materials incorporated by reference therein, because they will contain important information. The Offer to Purchase may be obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc., free of charge by calling toll-free at (800) 967-5051 (bankers and brokers can call collect at (646) 677-2521) or by email at [email protected]. This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell securities. No offer, solicitation, purchase or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The Offers are being made solely pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. About Baxter At Baxter, we are everywhere healthcare happens – and everywhere it is going, with essential solutions in the hospital, physician's office and other sites of care. For nearly a century, our customers have counted on us as a vital and trusted partner. And every day, millions of patients and healthcare providers rely on our unmatched portfolio of connected solutions, medical devices, and advanced injectable technologies. Approximately 37,500 Baxter team members live our enduring Mission: to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, we are redefining how care is delivered to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond. Forward-Looking Statements This release includes forward-looking statements which are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: the Company is exposed to risks as a result of its strategic actions; the Company may not achieve the anticipated benefits of its significant transactions, including the sale of its Kidney Care business and its acquisition of Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.; the Company’s significant indebtedness requires it to use a substantial amount of its cash flow for debt service and constrains the Company’s ability to pursue growth strategies and advance its R&D capabilities; there is substantial competition in the product markets in which the Company operates and the risk of declining demand and pricing pressures could adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows; the Company may be unable to successfully introduce or monetize new and existing products or services or keep pace with changing consumer preferences and needs or advances in technology; the Company may not achieve its financial goals; the Company has experienced disruptions in its supply chain and may experience additional disruptions in the future; global economic conditions, including inflation, have adversely affected, and could continue to adversely affect, the Company’s operations; the Company is subject to risks associated with doing business globally, including changes in tariffs and trade policies and treaties as well as the ongoing Iran conflict and other geopolitical events; the Company may be unable to obtain sufficient components or raw materials on a timely basis or for a cost-effective price; the Company may experience manufacturing, sterilization, supply, or distribution difficulties; the Company has experienced and may continue to experience issues with quality management or product quality; the Company may not be successful in achieving expected operating efficiencies and sustaining or improving operating expense reductions; continued consolidation in the health care industry or additional governmental controls exerted over pricing and access in key markets could lead to increased demands for price concessions or limit or eliminate the Company’s ability to sell to certain of its significant market segments; segments of the Company’s business are significantly dependent on major contracts with group purchasing organizations, integrated delivery networks, and certain other distributors and purchasers; the Company’s operating results and financial condition have fluctuated and may in the future continue to fluctuate; management transition creates uncertainties, and the Company may experience difficulties in managing such transitions, including attracting and retaining key employees; changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates have had, and may in the future have, an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and liquidity; future material impairments in the value of the Company’s goodwill, intangible assets, and other long-lived assets would negatively affect the Company’s operating results; the Company has experienced and may in the future experience breaches and breakdowns affecting its information technology systems or protected information, including from obsolescence, cybersecurity breaches and data leakage; the Company is exposed to risks associated with incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and other emerging technologies into our products, services and operations; a portion of the Company’s workforce is unionized, and the Company could face labor disruptions that would interfere with its operations; the effects of climate change, including legal, regulatory, or market measures related to climate change and other sustainability topics, could adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows; the Company’s goals, activities, and disclosures related to sustainability and corporate responsibility matters, and the perception of the Company’s activities in these areas, may fail to satisfy the differing expectations of key stakeholders on these matters; the Company is subject to laws and regulations globally, and its failure to comply with rapidly changing and increasingly divergent expectations of regulators in different jurisdictions could adversely impact the Company; if reimbursement or other payment for our current or future products is reduced or modified in the U.S. or in foreign countries, or there are changes to policies with respect to pricing, taxation, or rebates, the Company’s business could suffer; increasing regulatory focus on, and expanding laws relating to, privacy, AI, and cybersecurity could impact the Company’s business and expose it to increased liability; the Company is party to a number of pending lawsuits and other disputes which may adversely impact it; changes in tax laws or exposure to additional income tax liabilities may have a negative impact on the Company’s operating results; the Company could be subject to fines or damages and possible exclusion from participation in federal or state healthcare programs if it fails to comply with the laws and regulations applicable to its business; if the Company is unable to protect or enforce its patents or other proprietary rights, or if the Company becomes subject to claims or litigation alleging infringement of the patents or other proprietary rights of others, the Company’s competitiveness and business prospects may be materially damaged; the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws could limit its stockholders’ ability to choose their preferred judicial forum for disputes with the Company or its directors, officers, or employees; the Company recently decreased its quarterly dividend to $0.01 per share and cannot guarantee that it will increase the amount of dividends it pays, or that it will not cease paying dividends; the Company’s common stock price has fluctuated significantly and may continue to do so; and other risks discussed in the Company’s most recent filings on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and other SEC filings, all of which are available on the Company's website. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements unless otherwise required by the federal securities laws. Baxter and Novum IQ are trademarks of Baxter International Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260817204991/en/ Contacts Media Contact:Stacey Eisen, (224) [email protected] Investor Contact:Kevin Moran, (224) [email protected]

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-07

Does Cardinal Health’s New CAO and Recalls Reveal Shifts in Its Risk Profile and Earnings Quality (CAH)?

Simply Wall St.
In early August 2026, Cardinal Health announced that Anita Zielinski will become Chief Accounting Officer in November, following her interim CFO and senior accounting roles at Baxter and long tenure at Sysco and Ernst & Young, while the company also faced ongoing Class II recalls of subpotent levothyroxine tablets distributed nationwide in the US. This combination of leadership change in Cardinal Health’s finance function and routine but nationwide product recalls comes as analysts are highlighting expectations for stronger upcoming quarterly earnings across key distribution and medical segments. We’ll now explore how the appointment of seasoned finance leader Anita Zielinski influences Cardinal Health’s existing investment narrative and risk profile. Outshine the giants: these 16 early-stage AI stocks could fund your retirement. To own Cardinal Health, you need to believe its scale in drug and medical supply distribution can keep generating modest growth and cash returns despite tight margins, regulation and customer concentration. The latest appointment of Anita Zielinski as Chief Accounting Officer and the Class II levothyroxine recalls do not appear to materially change the near term focus on execution in core distribution or the key risk around pricing and contract pressure. The most relevant recent announcement here is the ongoing nationwide Class II recalls of subpotent levothyroxine tablets distributed by Cardinal Health. While these recalls are voluntary and relatively routine for a large distributor, they underline operational and quality control risks that sit alongside the main earnings catalyst of steady pharmaceutical volume growth and efficiency gains in the supply chain. Yet behind the headline leadership change, investors should still be aware of how tightening government pricing scrutiny could... Read the full narrative on Cardinal Health (it's free!) Cardinal Health's narrative projects $314.3 billion revenue and $2.3 billion earnings by 2029. This requires 7.8% yearly revenue growth and about a $0.7 billion earnings increase from $1.6 billion today. Uncover how Cardinal Health's forecasts yield a $250.53 fair value, a 5% upside to its current price. Three fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community span roughly US$250 to almost US$495 per share, showing how far apart individual views can be. Against that backdrop, regulatory an…Read full document

In early August 2026, Cardinal Health announced that Anita Zielinski will become Chief Accounting Officer in November, following her interim CFO and senior accounting roles at Baxter and long tenure at Sysco and Ernst & Young, while the company also faced ongoing Class II recalls of subpotent levothyroxine tablets distributed nationwide in the US. This combination of leadership change in Cardinal Health’s finance function and routine but nationwide product recalls comes as analysts are highlighting expectations for stronger upcoming quarterly earnings across key distribution and medical segments. We’ll now explore how the appointment of seasoned finance leader Anita Zielinski influences Cardinal Health’s existing investment narrative and risk profile. Outshine the giants: these 16 early-stage AI stocks could fund your retirement. To own Cardinal Health, you need to believe its scale in drug and medical supply distribution can keep generating modest growth and cash returns despite tight margins, regulation and customer concentration. The latest appointment of Anita Zielinski as Chief Accounting Officer and the Class II levothyroxine recalls do not appear to materially change the near term focus on execution in core distribution or the key risk around pricing and contract pressure. The most relevant recent announcement here is the ongoing nationwide Class II recalls of subpotent levothyroxine tablets distributed by Cardinal Health. While these recalls are voluntary and relatively routine for a large distributor, they underline operational and quality control risks that sit alongside the main earnings catalyst of steady pharmaceutical volume growth and efficiency gains in the supply chain. Yet behind the headline leadership change, investors should still be aware of how tightening government pricing scrutiny could... Read the full narrative on Cardinal Health (it's free!) Cardinal Health's narrative projects $314.3 billion revenue and $2.3 billion earnings by 2029. This requires 7.8% yearly revenue growth and about a $0.7 billion earnings increase from $1.6 billion today. Uncover how Cardinal Health's forecasts yield a $250.53 fair value, a 5% upside to its current price. Three fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community span roughly US$250 to almost US$495 per share, showing how far apart individual views can be. Against that backdrop, regulatory and pricing risks around Cardinal Health's low margin distribution model give you a very different angle on how its performance could evolve, so it is worth weighing several perspectives before forming your own view. Explore 3 other fair value estimates on Cardinal Health - why the stock might be worth over 2x more than the current price! Disagree with existing narratives? Extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd, so go with your instincts. A great starting point for your Cardinal Health research is our analysis highlighting 2 key rewards and 2 important warning signs that could impact your investment decision. Our free Cardinal Health research report provides a comprehensive fundamental analysis summarized in a single visual - the Snowflake - making it easy to evaluate Cardinal Health's overall financial health at a glance. Our daily scans reveal stocks with breakout potential. Don't miss this chance: AI is about to change healthcare. These 42 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10b in market cap - there's still time to get in early. We've uncovered the 8 dividend fortresses yielding 5%+ that don't just survive market storms, but thrive in them. Find 50 companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include CAH. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email [email protected]

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-01

Baxter International Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

MarketBeat
Interested in Baxter International Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Baxter exceeded second-quarter expectations, with sales rising 5% to approximately $3 billion and adjusted earnings of $0.56 per share. Results included a roughly $75 million tariff refund, but management said underlying operating performance also surpassed expectations. Growth was led by Advanced Surgery, up 12%, and drug compounding, while infusion-system sales were pressured by the Novum IQ pump shipment and installation hold. Baxter is conducting verification testing on corrective actions for Novum IQ and continues working with regulators. Baxter raised its 2026 outlook, now expecting 2%–3% organic sales growth and adjusted earnings of $1.95–$2.15 per share. The company remains focused on cash generation and debt reduction, targeting net leverage of about three times by year-end. The Value Deepens for Medtech Stocks: Reversal Imminent Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) reported second-quarter 2026 results that exceeded its expectations, supported by broad-based sales growth, strong demand in Advanced Surgery and drug compounding, and a $75 million tariff refund. The company raised its full-year organic sales-growth outlook and increased its adjusted earnings guidance, while maintaining its focus on operational execution, cash generation and debt reduction. Global sales totaled approximately $3 billion, up 5% on both a reported and organic basis. Adjusted earnings were $0.56 per diluted share, compared with $0.59 per share a year earlier. The results included an approximately $0.11-per-share benefit from an IEEPA tariff refund that had not been included in Baxter’s prior outlook. → Microsoft Just Flipped the AI Spending Narrative Overnight A Significant Reversal is in Sight for These 5 Med Tech Companies President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Hider said that, excluding the refund, margins and earnings still exceeded the company’s expectations because of operating performance. “We are still early in our turnaround and have more work ahead of us,” Hider said, adding that the company remains focused on execution during the second half of 2026. Medical Products & Therapies sales rose 5% organically to $2.1 billion. The segment’s newly combined Infusion Therapies & Platforms division, which includes the former pharmaceuticals and infusion therapies and technologies businesses, gen…Read full document

Interested in Baxter International Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Baxter exceeded second-quarter expectations, with sales rising 5% to approximately $3 billion and adjusted earnings of $0.56 per share. Results included a roughly $75 million tariff refund, but management said underlying operating performance also surpassed expectations. Growth was led by Advanced Surgery, up 12%, and drug compounding, while infusion-system sales were pressured by the Novum IQ pump shipment and installation hold. Baxter is conducting verification testing on corrective actions for Novum IQ and continues working with regulators. Baxter raised its 2026 outlook, now expecting 2%–3% organic sales growth and adjusted earnings of $1.95–$2.15 per share. The company remains focused on cash generation and debt reduction, targeting net leverage of about three times by year-end. The Value Deepens for Medtech Stocks: Reversal Imminent Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) reported second-quarter 2026 results that exceeded its expectations, supported by broad-based sales growth, strong demand in Advanced Surgery and drug compounding, and a $75 million tariff refund. The company raised its full-year organic sales-growth outlook and increased its adjusted earnings guidance, while maintaining its focus on operational execution, cash generation and debt reduction. Global sales totaled approximately $3 billion, up 5% on both a reported and organic basis. Adjusted earnings were $0.56 per diluted share, compared with $0.59 per share a year earlier. The results included an approximately $0.11-per-share benefit from an IEEPA tariff refund that had not been included in Baxter’s prior outlook. → Microsoft Just Flipped the AI Spending Narrative Overnight A Significant Reversal is in Sight for These 5 Med Tech Companies President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Hider said that, excluding the refund, margins and earnings still exceeded the company’s expectations because of operating performance. “We are still early in our turnaround and have more work ahead of us,” Hider said, adding that the company remains focused on execution during the second half of 2026. Medical Products & Therapies sales rose 5% organically to $2.1 billion. The segment’s newly combined Infusion Therapies & Platforms division, which includes the former pharmaceuticals and infusion therapies and technologies businesses, generated $1.7 billion in sales, up 4%. → 2 Unique Space ETFs That Could Upend the Industry 5 Good Reasons it's Time to Buy High-Yield Dividend King 3M Growth in Infusion Therapies & Platforms was driven by drug compounding and IV Solutions. Drug compounding services grew at a double-digit rate, though management noted that the business carries lower margins than the broader company. IV Solutions benefited from growth following a lower demand baseline associated with clinical-practice changes in the market. Those gains were partly offset by lower sales of infusion systems and injectables. Infusion-system performance reflected the ongoing shipment and installation hold for the Novum IQ large-volume pump, customer returns and transitions to Spectrum pumps. Baxter said demand for Spectrum IQ remained steady and that it did not see a material impact from Novum-related returns during the quarter. → MarketBeat Week in Review – 07/27- 07/31 Hider said Baxter has identified corrections for Novum IQ LVP field actions and is in the early stages of verification testing. The company continues to work with regulators and support existing Novum customers using available mitigations, while serving customers through its broader pump portfolio. Advanced Surgery sales increased 12% to $331 million, reflecting demand and higher volumes for hemostats and sealants, commercial execution across regions and steady procedure volumes. Hider described the business as a strong performer, citing its customer alignment and global product portfolio. Healthcare Systems & Technologies sales increased 4% organically to $801 million. Care & Connectivity Solutions revenue rose 5% to $502 million, driven by global Patient Support Systems demand, execution against the U.S. backlog and international growth. Front Line Care sales grew 2% to $299 million, aided by Connex 360 connected patient monitoring and the timing of large customer deals, partly offset by planned product exits. Medical Products & Therapies adjusted operating margin declined 350 basis points to 19.3%, while Healthcare Systems & Technologies adjusted operating margin was flat at 20.3%. At the company level, adjusted gross margin fell 210 basis points to 38.6% and adjusted operating margin declined 90 basis points to 14.2%. Interim Chief Financial Officer Anita Zielinski said the declines reflected higher manufacturing costs, including lower absorption, Section 122 tariff effects, lower pricing contribution and an unfavorable comparison with the prior-year period. The prior-year quarter had benefited from a change in estimate that reclassified expenses between selling, general and administrative costs and cost of sales. The impact was partly offset by the tariff refund and higher sales volumes. Zielinski said higher-cost inventory produced at the end of 2025 has now moved through Baxter’s profit and loss statement, which the company expects to support sequential improvement in the second half. Second-quarter free cash flow totaled $181 million, bringing year-to-date free cash flow to $257 million. Baxter said improved operating performance and working-capital actions supported cash generation. The company continues to target net leverage of about three times by year-end, with debt reduction its top near-term capital-allocation priority. Baxter raised its full-year organic sales-growth forecast to 2% to 3%, compared with its previous outlook, reflecting stronger first-half performance and expectations for continued growth in the second half. The company now expects reported sales growth of 3% to 4%, including an expected approximately 100-basis-point benefit from foreign exchange and an approximately $25 million headwind from Vantive master services agreement revenue. Medical Products & Therapies organic sales are expected to grow low single digits for the full year. Healthcare Systems & Technologies organic sales are also expected to grow low single digits. Adjusted operating margin is still expected to be between 13% and 14%. Net non-operating expenses are projected at $260 million to $280 million. The adjusted tax rate is expected to range from 18.5% to 19.5%. Full-year adjusted earnings guidance was raised to $1.95 to $2.15 per diluted share from $1.85 to $2.05 per share, primarily reflecting the tariff refund. Baxter expects approximately $40 million of tariff impact, net of mitigating actions, in the second half. It also expects improved second-half performance from higher seasonal volumes, benefits from cost actions and the roll-through of higher-cost inventory. Hider said Baxter’s Growth and Performance System, or Baxter GPS, is becoming more embedded across the organization. The company completed more than 400 continuous-improvement events during the first half, has nearly 200 in progress and has another 400 planned. Baxter also highlighted several product initiatives. It launched PeerView, a digital benchmarking application designed to help hospitals compare infusion data and improve infusion practices. In Front Line Care, the company began a limited market release of Vest APX Acute Care, an airway-clearance device, with a full release planned near the end of the third quarter. Baxter also reported growing adoption of Connex 360 and early commercial momentum for its Dynamo smart hospital stretcher, which has now launched in Canada. Management said it has not observed a change in U.S. hospital capital-spending patterns to date. Hider said the company’s order book and sales funnel remain solid, though Baxter continues to monitor macroeconomic uncertainty and customer buying behavior. Baxter International Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of medical products, pharmaceutical therapies and biotechnology-based solutions. The company's primary business activities are organized around renal care, medication delivery, acute therapies, pharmacy automation, surgical care and biotechnology. Baxter's offerings are designed to support patient care in hospitals, dialysis centers, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities worldwide. In the renal care segment, Baxter provides hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis systems, water treatment equipment and related disposables, including dialyzers, bloodlines and catheters. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "Baxter International Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for August 2026.

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-01

Baxter International (BAX) Is Up 16.8% After Raising 2026 Sales Outlook And Earnings Guidance

Simply Wall St.
Baxter International Inc. recently reported past Q2 2026 results, with sales rising to US$2,960 million and quarterly net income increasing to US$126 million compared with the prior year. Alongside this, Baxter raised its 2026 sales growth and adjusted earnings guidance while maintaining a quarterly dividend, signaling management’s confidence in its operating direction. Next, we’ll examine how Baxter’s upgraded 2026 guidance, particularly its higher sales outlook, shapes the company’s broader investment narrative. We've uncovered the 9 dividend fortresses yielding 5%+ that don't just survive market storms, but thrive in them. For Baxter to make sense in a portfolio, you need to believe the company can turn its low valuation and improving operations into durable, profitable growth, despite recent execution and balance sheet issues. The latest quarter helps that case: sales and earnings beat expectations, guidance for 2026 was raised, and the stock jumped sharply, suggesting the market is starting to reward progress. In the near term, upgraded sales guidance and better-than-expected cash generation are likely to be key catalysts, especially as management focuses on debt reduction after years of underwhelming returns. On the risk side, Baxter is still coming off a period of losses, has relatively high leverage, and remains exposed to product and regulatory issues such as the recent Volara recall. The fresh results improve sentiment, but they do not erase those underlying challenges. However, investors should not ignore the tension between stronger guidance and Baxter’s still-stretched balance sheet. Baxter International's shares have been on the rise but are still potentially undervalued by 32%. Find out what it's worth. Six fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community span roughly US$14.80 to just under US$38.60 per share, showing how far apart individual views on Baxter sit. Set that against the improved 2026 outlook and recent recall headlines, and it is clear you are weighing both a recovery story and operational risk when you decide where you stand. Explore 6 other fair value estimates on Baxter International - why the stock might be worth as much as 47% more than the current price! Disagree with existing narratives? Extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd, so go with your instincts. A great starting point for your Ba…Read full document

Baxter International Inc. recently reported past Q2 2026 results, with sales rising to US$2,960 million and quarterly net income increasing to US$126 million compared with the prior year. Alongside this, Baxter raised its 2026 sales growth and adjusted earnings guidance while maintaining a quarterly dividend, signaling management’s confidence in its operating direction. Next, we’ll examine how Baxter’s upgraded 2026 guidance, particularly its higher sales outlook, shapes the company’s broader investment narrative. We've uncovered the 9 dividend fortresses yielding 5%+ that don't just survive market storms, but thrive in them. For Baxter to make sense in a portfolio, you need to believe the company can turn its low valuation and improving operations into durable, profitable growth, despite recent execution and balance sheet issues. The latest quarter helps that case: sales and earnings beat expectations, guidance for 2026 was raised, and the stock jumped sharply, suggesting the market is starting to reward progress. In the near term, upgraded sales guidance and better-than-expected cash generation are likely to be key catalysts, especially as management focuses on debt reduction after years of underwhelming returns. On the risk side, Baxter is still coming off a period of losses, has relatively high leverage, and remains exposed to product and regulatory issues such as the recent Volara recall. The fresh results improve sentiment, but they do not erase those underlying challenges. However, investors should not ignore the tension between stronger guidance and Baxter’s still-stretched balance sheet. Baxter International's shares have been on the rise but are still potentially undervalued by 32%. Find out what it's worth. Six fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community span roughly US$14.80 to just under US$38.60 per share, showing how far apart individual views on Baxter sit. Set that against the improved 2026 outlook and recent recall headlines, and it is clear you are weighing both a recovery story and operational risk when you decide where you stand. Explore 6 other fair value estimates on Baxter International - why the stock might be worth as much as 47% more than the current price! Disagree with existing narratives? Extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd, so go with your instincts. A great starting point for your Baxter International research is our analysis highlighting 3 key rewards and 1 important warning sign that could impact your investment decision. Our free Baxter International research report provides a comprehensive fundamental analysis summarized in a single visual - the Snowflake - making it easy to evaluate Baxter International's overall financial health at a glance. Our daily scans reveal stocks with breakout potential. Don't miss this chance: Invest in the nuclear renaissance through our list of 88 elite nuclear energy infrastructure plays powering the global AI revolution. AI is about to change healthcare. These 41 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10b in market cap - there's still time to get in early. Find 55 companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include BAX. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email [email protected]

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-07-30

Baxter: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Associated Press

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) — DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Baxter International Inc. (BAX) on Thursday reported second-quarter net income of $126 million. On a per-share basis, the Deerfield, Illinois-based company said it had profit of 24 cents. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 56 cents per share. The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 36 cents per share. The drug and medical device maker posted revenue of $2.96 billion in the period, also topping Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $2.79 billion. Baxter expects full-year earnings in the range of $1.95 to $2.15 per share. Baxter shares have risen 30% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P's 500 index has risen nearly 7%. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on BAX at https://www.zacks.com/ap/BAX

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-07-30

BAX Stock Gains on Q2 Earnings & Sales Beat, Margins Contract

Zacks
Baxter International Inc. BAX reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations of 56 cents, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 36 cents by 55.6%. The bottom line declined 5% from the year-ago quarter’s level. On a GAAP basis, the company reported an EPS from continuing operations of 26 cents compared to an EPS of 24 cents in the prior-year quarter. Shares of BAX gained 16.6% in pre-market trading. Year to date, the company’s shares have gained 29.6%, outperforming the industry’s fall of 16.1% and the broader S&P 500 Index’s increase of 6.7%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Revenues from continued operations totaled $2.96 billion, up 5% year over year on both a reported and organic basis. The top line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.9%. Growth was driven by broad-based gains across Baxter’s segments and divisions. U.S. sales from continuing operations totaled $1.59 billion, up 4% on both a reported and organic basis. International sales from continuing operations totaled $1.37 billion, reflecting an increase of 7% on a reported basis and 5% on an organic basis. International growth outpaced the domestic business, while organic growth matched reported growth companywide despite currency effects and the Kidney Care manufacturing and supply agreement. Medical Products & Therapies The segment includes the Infusion Therapies & Platforms and Advanced Surgery divisions. Sales in this segment totaled $2.08 billion, up 7% year over year on a reported basis and 5% organically. Growth was driven by strength in Drug Compounding and IV Solutions, along with continued solid global demand for Advanced Surgery products. The increase was partly offset by lower Infusion Systems sales due to the previously disclosed shipment and installation hold of the Novum IQ LVP, as well as weakness in Injectables. Infusion Therapies & Platforms sales totaled $1.75 billion, up 6% year over year on a reported basis and 4% organically. Advanced Surgery revenues amounted to $331 million, up 12% on both a reported and organic basis. The division benefited from demand for hemostats and sealants, strong commercial execution across regions and steady procedure volumes. Healthcare Systems & Technologies The segment includes the Care & Connectivity Solutions and Front Line Care divisions. Total sales in this segment were $801 mil…Read full document

Baxter International Inc. BAX reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations of 56 cents, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 36 cents by 55.6%. The bottom line declined 5% from the year-ago quarter’s level. On a GAAP basis, the company reported an EPS from continuing operations of 26 cents compared to an EPS of 24 cents in the prior-year quarter. Shares of BAX gained 16.6% in pre-market trading. Year to date, the company’s shares have gained 29.6%, outperforming the industry’s fall of 16.1% and the broader S&P 500 Index’s increase of 6.7%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Revenues from continued operations totaled $2.96 billion, up 5% year over year on both a reported and organic basis. The top line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.9%. Growth was driven by broad-based gains across Baxter’s segments and divisions. U.S. sales from continuing operations totaled $1.59 billion, up 4% on both a reported and organic basis. International sales from continuing operations totaled $1.37 billion, reflecting an increase of 7% on a reported basis and 5% on an organic basis. International growth outpaced the domestic business, while organic growth matched reported growth companywide despite currency effects and the Kidney Care manufacturing and supply agreement. Medical Products & Therapies The segment includes the Infusion Therapies & Platforms and Advanced Surgery divisions. Sales in this segment totaled $2.08 billion, up 7% year over year on a reported basis and 5% organically. Growth was driven by strength in Drug Compounding and IV Solutions, along with continued solid global demand for Advanced Surgery products. The increase was partly offset by lower Infusion Systems sales due to the previously disclosed shipment and installation hold of the Novum IQ LVP, as well as weakness in Injectables. Infusion Therapies & Platforms sales totaled $1.75 billion, up 6% year over year on a reported basis and 4% organically. Advanced Surgery revenues amounted to $331 million, up 12% on both a reported and organic basis. The division benefited from demand for hemostats and sealants, strong commercial execution across regions and steady procedure volumes. Healthcare Systems & Technologies The segment includes the Care & Connectivity Solutions and Front Line Care divisions. Total sales in this segment were $801 million, up 4% year over year on both a reported and organic basis. Growth reflected strong demand for Care & Connectivity Solutions products, led by Patient Support Systems, along with improvement in Front Line Care. Care & Connectivity Solutions sales totaled $502 million, up 6% year over year on a reported basis and 5% organically. Performance benefited from higher Patient Support Systems volumes, execution against the U.S. backlog and growth across international markets. Front Line Care revenues were $299 million, up 2% on both a reported and organic basis, driven by Connex 360 momentum and the timing of large customer deals, partly offset by planned global product exits. Adjusted gross profit was $1.14 billion, down 0.2% year over year. Adjusted gross margin contracted 210 basis points to 38.6%, reflecting the roll-through of higher-cost inventory produced at the end of 2025 and an unfavorable comparison tied to prior-year cost reclassification. Selling, general and administrative expenses amounted to $735 million, up 2% year over year. Research and development expenses totaled $129 million, down 4%. Adjusted operating income was $421 million, down 0.5% year over year. Adjusted operating margin contracted 90 basis points to 14.2%. Cumulative net cash from operating activities at the end of second-quarter 2026 was $510 million compared with $118 million a year ago. Management continues to target net leverage of about 3.0 times by the end of 2026 while maintaining an investment-grade credit rating. Near-term capital priorities remain debt repayment and organic investment in core platforms, innovation and productivity-enhancing projects. Baxter raised its sales and adjusted earnings guidance for 2026. Sales from continuing operations are now estimated to grow 3-4% on a reported basis, compared with the prior projection of flat to 1% growth. Organic sales growth is anticipated in the 2-3% range compared with the earlier expectation of approximately flat growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $11.36 billion, implying 1% growth. Adjusted EPS from continuing operations is now projected in the band of $1.95-$2.15, up from the previous range of $1.85-$2.05. Medical Products & Therapies and Healthcare Systems & Technologies are each expected to deliver low-single-digit organic growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for adjusted EPS is pegged at $1.91 per share. Baxter International Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Baxter International Inc. Quote Currently, Baxter carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are West Pharmaceutical WST, McKesson MCK and Cardinal Health CAH, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. West Pharmaceutical reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.37, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.9%. Revenues of $872.3 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.2%. West Pharmaceutical has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 16%. WST’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 17.4%. McKesson reported a fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of $11.69, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.1%. Revenues of $96.3 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.5%. McKesson has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 13.7%. MCK’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 3.1%. Cardinal Health reported a third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of $3.17, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.2%. Revenues of $60.94 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.3%. Cardinal Health has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 17%. CAH’s earnings surpassed estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 10.3%. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Baxter International Inc. (BAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) : Free Stock Analysis Report McKesson Corporation (MCK) : Free Stock Analysis Report West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-07-30

Baxter International (BAX) Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Zacks
Baxter International (BAX) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.56 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.36 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.59 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +55.56%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this drug and medical device maker would post earnings of $0.31 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.36, delivering a surprise of +16.13%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Baxter, which belongs to the Zacks Medical - Products industry, posted revenues of $2.96 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.95%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.81 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Baxter shares have added about 29.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 6.9%. While Baxter has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Baxter was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong B…Read full document

Baxter International (BAX) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.56 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.36 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.59 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +55.56%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this drug and medical device maker would post earnings of $0.31 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.36, delivering a surprise of +16.13%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Baxter, which belongs to the Zacks Medical - Products industry, posted revenues of $2.96 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.95%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.81 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Baxter shares have added about 29.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 6.9%. While Baxter has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Baxter was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.53 on $2.84 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.91 on $11.36 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Medical - Products is currently in the bottom 34% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. ResMed (RMD), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 6. This maker of medical products for respiratory disorders is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.90 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +13.7%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.2% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. ResMed's revenues are expected to be $1.46 billion, up 8.4% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Baxter International Inc. (BAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report ResMed Inc. (RMD) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-07-30

Baxter International Inc (BAX) (Q2 2026) Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Beat Offsets ...

GuruFocus.com
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Revenue: Global sales totaled approximately $3 billion, an increase of 5% on both a reported and organic basis. Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS): $0.56 per diluted share, a decrease of 5% from $0.59 in the prior year period. Adjusted Gross Margin: 38.6%, a decrease of 210 basis points. Adjusted Operating Margin: 14.2%, a decrease of 90 basis points. Free Cash Flow: $181 million in the second quarter, bringing the year-to-date total to $257 million. Medical Products and Therapies (MPT) Segment Sales: $2.1 billion, an increase of 5% on an organic basis. Infusion Therapies and Platforms (ITP) Sales: $1.7 billion, an increase of 4% on an organic basis. Advanced Surgery Sales: $331 million, an increase of 12% on an organic basis. Healthcare Systems and Technologies (HST) Segment Sales: $801 million, an increase of 4% on an organic basis. Care and Connectivity Solutions (CCS) Sales: $502 million, an increase of 5% on an organic basis. Frontline Care Sales: $299 million, an increase of 2% on an organic basis. Full-Year 2026 Organic Sales Growth Outlook: Raised to 2% to 3%. Full-Year 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook: Raised to $1.95 to $2.15 per diluted share. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 9 Warning Signs with BAX. Is BAX fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Release Date: July 30, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Second quarter organic revenue growth of 5% exceeded expectations, driven by broad-based operational performance across all segments and divisions. Strong double-digit growth in drug compounding and continued robust performance in advanced surgery (12% growth) highlight key growth drivers. Positive free cash flow generation of $181 million in Q2 and $257 million year-to-date, reflecting improved working capital and strengthening financial flexibility. Progress on the Baxter GPS continuous improvement program, with over 400 events completed and hundreds more planned, driving efficiency and execution. Innovation momentum with new product launches like PeerView, Vest APX Acute Care, and Dynamo smart stretcher, expanding market offerings and customer value. Adjusted EPS declined 5% year-over-year to $0.56, impacted by higher manufacturing costs and unfavorable prior-year cost comparisons. Novum IQ LVP infusion pump remains unde…Read full document

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Revenue: Global sales totaled approximately $3 billion, an increase of 5% on both a reported and organic basis. Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS): $0.56 per diluted share, a decrease of 5% from $0.59 in the prior year period. Adjusted Gross Margin: 38.6%, a decrease of 210 basis points. Adjusted Operating Margin: 14.2%, a decrease of 90 basis points. Free Cash Flow: $181 million in the second quarter, bringing the year-to-date total to $257 million. Medical Products and Therapies (MPT) Segment Sales: $2.1 billion, an increase of 5% on an organic basis. Infusion Therapies and Platforms (ITP) Sales: $1.7 billion, an increase of 4% on an organic basis. Advanced Surgery Sales: $331 million, an increase of 12% on an organic basis. Healthcare Systems and Technologies (HST) Segment Sales: $801 million, an increase of 4% on an organic basis. Care and Connectivity Solutions (CCS) Sales: $502 million, an increase of 5% on an organic basis. Frontline Care Sales: $299 million, an increase of 2% on an organic basis. Full-Year 2026 Organic Sales Growth Outlook: Raised to 2% to 3%. Full-Year 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook: Raised to $1.95 to $2.15 per diluted share. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 9 Warning Signs with BAX. Is BAX fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Release Date: July 30, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Second quarter organic revenue growth of 5% exceeded expectations, driven by broad-based operational performance across all segments and divisions. Strong double-digit growth in drug compounding and continued robust performance in advanced surgery (12% growth) highlight key growth drivers. Positive free cash flow generation of $181 million in Q2 and $257 million year-to-date, reflecting improved working capital and strengthening financial flexibility. Progress on the Baxter GPS continuous improvement program, with over 400 events completed and hundreds more planned, driving efficiency and execution. Innovation momentum with new product launches like PeerView, Vest APX Acute Care, and Dynamo smart stretcher, expanding market offerings and customer value. Adjusted EPS declined 5% year-over-year to $0.56, impacted by higher manufacturing costs and unfavorable prior-year cost comparisons. Novum IQ LVP infusion pump remains under shipment and installation hold due to field actions, with ongoing regulatory engagement and no timeline for resolution. Supply constraints persist in injectables and certain premixed products, particularly from a contract manufacturer, pressuring pharmaceutical portfolio performance. Gross margin decreased 210 basis points to 38.6%, driven by higher cost inventory roll-through and tariff impacts, partially offset by a one-time tariff refund. Full-year organic sales growth guidance raised to only 2%-3%, reflecting cautious outlook amid macroeconomic uncertainty and potential hospital capital spending slowdown. Here are the key highlights from Baxter International Inc.'s Q2 2026 earnings call, presented as Q&A pairs. Q: Can you unpack the drivers of the strong Q2 top-line beat and the confidence behind the guidance raise? Also, given the one-time tariff refund, does the lower implied second-half EPS guidance suggest caution, and are you still confident in EPS growth for 2027?A: (Andrew Hider, President and CEO) The Q2 beat was driven by broad-based operational performance across all segments and divisions, including double-digit growth in drug compounding, strong performance in advanced surgery, and solid demand in IV solutions and patient support systems. The tariff refund of $0.11 per share was not contemplated in original guidance. While we are pleased with the quarter, it is just one quarter, and we are focused on executing in the second half of 2026. The non-recurring tariff benefit will not flow through to 2027, and we will provide more color on 2027 at the appropriate time. Q: What is the status of the Novum IQ LVP pump, and what are the next steps? If it doesn't return to market, how durable is the Spectrum IQ pump as a workhorse?A: (Andrew Hider, President and CEO) We are making progress on the Novum IQ LVP. We have identified corrections and are in the early stages of verification testing. We continue to work closely with regulatory authorities and support current customers with available mitigations. We like our total pump portfolio, which includes the Novum syringe and Spectrum LVP on the IQX platform, and we recently launched PeerView to enhance our digital roadmap. We are focused on bringing value to customers today and will launch Novum LVP when it is ready. Q: How large was the drug compounding business in Q2, and did its lower margin profile contribute to the gross margin being a bit light?A: (Kevin Moran, VP of Investor Relations) Drug compounding was a good chunk of the beat in Q2 and grew double-digits. It inherently has a lower margin, which does impact the mix. (Andrew Hider, President and CEO) While pleased with the growth, this business has favorable cash conversion, and we are focused on driving margin improvement. Q: The Q2 beat included a $0.11 tariff refund, higher TSA income, and lower interest. Why is the full-year EPS guidance only raised by $0.10? Is this conservatism for the second half?A: (Kevin Moran, VP of Investor Relations) The higher TSA income in Q2 was offset by higher TSA-related expenses, so it was not material to operating income. The full-year EPS guidance raise primarily reflects the one-time tariff refund. The underlying operating performance framework for the second half remains consistent with our previous expectations, including higher volumes, cost structure benefits, and the roll-through of higher-cost inventory. Q: Can you talk about the order book and any signs of a slowdown in hospital capital spending, particularly for the Connected Care business?A: (Andrew Hider, President and CEO) Demand remains stable, supported by a strong US capital order book and funnel visibility across Patient Support Systems and Global Supply Systems. We are staying close to the market and have not observed any change in hospital capital spending behavior. Customer feedback on new products like the Dynamo stretcher is positive, but we are not immune to broader macroeconomic uncertainty and continue to monitor the environment closely. Q: What is the plan to turn around the injectables and anesthesia business, which remains pressured?A: (Andrew Hider, President and CEO) The business remains pressured due to ongoing supply constraints, particularly from a contract manufacturer. We are taking specific actions to improve supply conditions on select products and are working closely with the contract manufacturer to improve operational efficiency and quality. The full-year guidance has this built in. Q: Was there any restocking benefit from IV Fluids in Q2, given the market rebasing?A: (Andrew Hider, President and CEO) We did not see a massive restocking in IV Solutions, so it was not material. We are operating at the new norm baseline and feel good about our market position and the value we bring to customers. Q: The organic revenue guidance was raised, but the implied EPS for the second half seems lighter. What are the good guys and bad guys on margins for the rest of the year?A: (Kevin Moran, VP of Investor Relations) The operating margin framework remains consistent: first-half headwinds followed by second-half improvement. The new item is the non-recurring Q2 tariff refund. For the balance of the year, you should normalize for that and then expect sequential improvement from higher volumes, cost structure actions, and the roll-through of higher-cost inventory, which will be a Q2 to Q3 sequential improvement. (Andrew Hider, President and CEO) Supply chain pressures and oil prices are being managed and are within our guidance. Q: Can you quantify the impact of planned product exits on Frontline Care's 2% growth in Q2, and what is the long-term growth aspiration for this business?A: (Kevin Moran, VP of Investor Relations) The planned product exits were not material. Connect 360 did contribute to the growth. (Andrew Hider, President and CEO) We are focused on strong portfolio management and aligning with areas where we have value creation for customers. This includes launching new products and sustaining our solution set. It is early days, but the leadership team is focused on execution and value creation. Q: Where has the turnaround gone better and faster than expected, and where has it been slower? How are you evolving your focus?A: (Andrew Hider, President and CEO) I am very pleased with how the Baxter GPS (Growth and Performance System) has taken hold across the organization. We have completed over 400 continuous improvement events year-to-date, with many more in the pipeline. This is the driving force for consistent execution. There is no single innovation that will define our future; it is the accumulation of all these small improvements. I am never satisfied, but I am pleased with the progress. One quarter is one quarter, and we are focused on finishing the year strong and preparing for 2027. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-07-30

Baxter International's Q2 Adjusted Earnings Fall, Revenue Rises; Increases 2026 Guidance; Shares Rise Pre-Bell

MT Newswires

Baxter International (BAX) reported Q2 adjusted earnings Thursday of $0.56 per diluted share, compar

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-07-30

Baxter (BAX) Q2 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

Zacks
Baxter International (BAX) reported $2.96 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 5.3%. EPS of $0.56 for the same period compares to $0.59 a year ago. The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.79 billion, representing a surprise of +5.95%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +55.56%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.36. While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance. As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately. Here is how Baxter performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Net Sales- Advanced Surgery- International: $149 million versus $148.08 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +8% change. Net Sales- Other- International: $26 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $30.08 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -27.8%. Net Sales- Front Line Care- International: $73 million versus $72.3 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +1.4% change. Net Sales- Medical Products and Therapies- International: $1.13 billion compared to the $627.04 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +85% year over year. Net Sales- Care and Connectivity Solutions- International: $141 million compared to the $139.89 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +6% year over year. Net Sales- Healthcare Systems and Technologies- International: $214 million versus $212.18 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.4% change. Net Sales- Advanced Surgery: $331 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $319.26 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +11.8%. Net Sales- Other: $83 mi…Read full document

Baxter International (BAX) reported $2.96 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 5.3%. EPS of $0.56 for the same period compares to $0.59 a year ago. The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.79 billion, representing a surprise of +5.95%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +55.56%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.36. While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance. As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately. Here is how Baxter performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Net Sales- Advanced Surgery- International: $149 million versus $148.08 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +8% change. Net Sales- Other- International: $26 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $30.08 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -27.8%. Net Sales- Front Line Care- International: $73 million versus $72.3 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +1.4% change. Net Sales- Medical Products and Therapies- International: $1.13 billion compared to the $627.04 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +85% year over year. Net Sales- Care and Connectivity Solutions- International: $141 million compared to the $139.89 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +6% year over year. Net Sales- Healthcare Systems and Technologies- International: $214 million versus $212.18 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.4% change. Net Sales- Advanced Surgery: $331 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $319.26 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +11.8%. Net Sales- Other: $83 million compared to the $91.87 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of -25.2% year over year. Net Sales- Healthcare Systems and Technologies: $801 million compared to the $770.74 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +4.4% year over year. Net Sales- Care and Connectivity Solutions: $502 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $480.34 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +5.9%. Net Sales- Medical Products and Therapies: $2.08 billion compared to the $1.47 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +57.3% year over year. Net Sales- Front Line Care: $299 million compared to the $290.4 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +2.1% year over year. View all Key Company Metrics for Baxter here>>> Shares of Baxter have returned +14.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Baxter International Inc. (BAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

TranscriptFY2026 Q22026-07-30

FY2026 Q2 earnings call transcript

Earnings source - 87 paragraphs
Operator

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Baxter International's second quarter 2026 earnings conference call. Your lines will remain in a listen-only mode until the question and answer segment of today's call. At that time, if you have a question, you will need to press the *1 key on your touch tone phone. If anyone should require assistance during the conference, please press star then zero on your touch tone phone. As a reminder, this call is being recorded by Baxter and is copyrighted material. It cannot be recorded or rebroadcast without Baxter's permission. If you have any objections, please disconnect at this time. I would now like to turn the call over to Mr. Kevin Moran, Vice President, Investor Relations at Baxter International. Mr. Moran, you may begin.

Kevin Moran

Good morning, and welcome. Today we'll discuss Baxter's second quarter results, along with our updated financial outlook for the full year 2026. This morning, a press release was issued with our preliminary earnings results and updated outlook. The press release and investor presentation are available on the Investors section of the Baxter website. Joining me today are Andrew Hider, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Anita Zielinski, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, and Controller. During the call, we will be making forward-looking statements, including comments regarding our updated financial outlook for the full year 2026 and the anticipated drivers of the third quarter and second half 2026 performance, the anticipated impact of various regulatory and operational matters, including ones related to our infusion pump platform and ongoing supply chain challenges, and commentary regarding the global macroeconomic environment, including tariff impacts and the broader inflationary pressures.

Kevin Moran

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. Please refer to today's press release, the forward-looking statement slide at the beginning of our investor presentation, and our SEC filings for more detail. In addition, please note that on today's call, all our comments will be on a non-GAAP basis unless they're specifically called out as GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures are used to help investors understand Baxter's ongoing business performance. GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations can be found in the schedules attached to our press release and our investor presentation. On the call, we will reference organic growth, which excludes the impact of foreign exchange, MSA revenues from Vantive, and the impacts associated with business acquisitions or divestitures.

Kevin Moran

Unless otherwise noted, all financial results on today's call reflect continuing operations and exclude Baxter's former kidney care business, which is reported as discontinued operations. Finally, Andrew, Anita, and I will take questions following the prepared remarks. We kindly ask that you limit yourself to one question and one brief follow-up so that we can give as many people in the queue an opportunity. With that, I'd like to turn the call over to Andrew.

Andrew Hider

Thank you, Kevin, and good morning, everyone. I am encouraged by our second quarter financial results that came in ahead of expectations, demonstrating continued steady progress on our strategic priorities and improved execution across the business. In the quarter, broad-based operating performance drove organic revenue growth of 5%. Additionally, results reflect a tariff refund that was not contemplated in our original guidance. Free cash flow generation was again positive, which reflects our focus on strengthening financial flexibility. We are now in a stronger position to deliver on the financial goals we set at the start of the year. I am pleased with the progress we are making, but I'm far from satisfied. We are still early in our turnaround and have more work ahead of us. We are laser-focused on executing in the second half of the year, as well as driving improved performance and long-term shareholder value creation.

Andrew Hider

With that, let me provide some highlights of our performance in the quarter. Second quarter global sales totaled approximately $3 billion, representing an increase of 5% on both a reported and organic basis. We saw growth across the portfolio, led by Advanced Surgery and drug compounding. Every segment and division contributed, with sales increasing in both the U.S. and internationally. Adjusted earnings for the quarter were $0.56 per diluted share versus $0.59 in the prior year period. As expected, this reflects the known mechanical headwinds that we have previously discussed and that Anita will cover in more detail. It also includes a tariff refund of $75 million that was not assumed in our previous guidance and contributed approximately $0.11 per diluted share. Importantly, absent this benefit, margins and earnings still exceeded our expectations due to the strength of the operating performance.

Andrew Hider

With respect to Novum IQ LVP, we have identified corrections to address the field actions and are in the early stages of verification testing. We continue to work closely with the regulatory authorities and support our current Novum LVP customers who continue to operate with the available mitigations, while also continuing to serve the market with our broader pump portfolio. Overall, we saw steady demand across our end markets during the quarter. Growth remains strong in Advanced Surgery, and we have a healthy order book in our Care & Connectivity Solutions business. Of course, we continue to closely monitor the broader environment, including macroeconomic uncertainty and volatility in oil prices. Looking ahead, we are raising our outlook for full-year organic sales growth to reflect the strong Q2 performance and our confidence in the back half of the year.

Andrew Hider

We are also increasing our outlook for adjusted EPS to reflect the tariff refund. We continue to expect margins to expand in the second half of the year, driven by higher volumes consistent with typical seasonality, benefits from our cost structure actions, and the roll-through of higher cost inventory. Shifting now to our turnaround efforts. We continue to show progress on our three strategic priorities. The first of those priorities is stabilizing the business, particularly in areas that require increased focus. For example, we continue to focus on improving supply reliability across portions of our pharmaceutical portfolio, recognizing that challenges remain, including with certain products supplied by a contract manufacturer. Additionally, we had strong execution against customer demand in Care & Connectivity Solutions. Overall, we're seeing encouraging progress and are focused on building greater consistency across the portfolio.

Andrew Hider

As part of our efforts to stabilize and improve performance, earlier this year, we brought together our pharmaceuticals and infusion therapies and technologies businesses under a single leader. Our new reporting structure reflects that change, with the combined business now reported as Infusion Therapies & Platforms, or ITP, within the Medical Products & Therapies segment. We believe the combination will support stronger coordination, execution, and innovation across businesses that share common customers, capabilities, and workflows in the pharmacy space. Moving on to our second strategic priority, which is strengthening the balance sheet. During the quarter, we again saw positive free cash flow generation, bringing our year-to-date total to $257 million. This is another positive step forward and reflects our continued focus on improving working capital and strengthening cash flow generation across the organization.

Andrew Hider

There is still significant work ahead, but the strides we have made in the first half give us increased confidence in our ability to achieve our net leverage target of approximately 3X by the end of the year. Achieving a stronger and more flexible balance sheet unlocks more optionality to drive shareholder value, including strategic tuck-in M&A that enhances our customer offerings and growth profile, as well as the option to return capital through share repurchases. Turning to our third priority, driving continuous improvement. Now, in its third quarter since deployment, the Baxter Growth and Performance System, or Baxter GPS, has taken hold in the company culture and is becoming increasingly embedded in how each division operates. Through the first half of the year, we have completed over 400 continuous improvement events held across Baxter. We have nearly 200 in flight and another 400 planned in the pipeline.

Andrew Hider

While no single event will define our future, small improvements over time should lead to big improvements. Cross-functional teams are using Baxter GPS tools to identify execution risks earlier and implement mitigating actions sooner. Continuous improvement activity is supporting working capital, commercial, manufacturing, and R&D priorities, with early examples of improved efficiency and simplification across the business. We are also making focused investments in innovation to drive growth across the portfolio. We recently launched PeerView, a differentiated digital benchmarking application that enables hospitals to compare infusion data and drive infusion therapy best practices. This is strategically important for the ITP business because it enhances our digital roadmap for our infusion systems platform by including PeerView in our IQX platform as a core digital capability, further differentiating our infusion offering versus competitors.

Andrew Hider

In Front Line Care, we recently launched a limited market release of Vest APX Acute Care, an airway clearance device featuring a smaller and lighter platform, updated interface, and improved patient comfort. Early customer response has been positive, with full market release planned towards the end of Q3. Additionally, adoption continues to build for the Connex 360 connected patient monitoring platform, with strong order growth throughout Q2 and a growing sales funnel. In Care & Connectivity Solutions, early momentum for Dynamo, our smart hospital stretcher, continues with a strong commercial funnel and positive customer feedback. Additionally, we recently launched Dynamo in Canada, our first international expansion of the stretcher. Beyond product development, innovation is being advanced broadly across the company as we continue to prioritize using AI internally to work smarter, move faster, and operate more efficiently.

Andrew Hider

I am encouraged by the early progress we have made and even more excited about the future of Baxter. My visits with stakeholders around the world, engagement with our team, and conversations with our customers have validated the opportunity I saw when I decided to join the company. Baxter sits on a foundation of good businesses with leading positions and time-trusted brands, with clear opportunities for more rigorous execution to unlock our full potential and deliver consistent and sustainable earnings growth and long-term value for our shareholders. I will now turn the call over to Anita to provide more detail on our second quarter results, including segment-level performance, as well as our 2026 guidance. Anita, over to you.

Anita Zielinski

Thanks, Andrew. Good morning, everyone. I'm happy to be joining the call this morning to cover the details of Baxter's second quarter financial performance, as well as commentary on our updated outlook for the remainder of 2026. Second quarter 2026 global sales totaled approximately $3 billion, an increase 5% on both a reported and organic basis. On the bottom line, adjusted earnings were $0.56 per share, a decrease of 5%. This decline reflects two known and expected headwinds that we have talked about previously. First, the roll-through of higher cost inventory produced at the end of 2025. Second, an unfavorable comparison to the prior year period, which benefited from a change in estimate that resulted in a reclassification between SG&A and cost of sales. These two headwinds were partially offset by an $0.11 per diluted share benefit related to an IEEPA tariff refund.

Anita Zielinski

Now I'll walk through our results by reportable segment. Commentary regarding sales growth will be on an organic basis. As a reminder, beginning with our reporting this quarter, our pharmaceuticals business has been consolidated into the former Infusion Therapies & Technologies, or ITT division, within our Medical Products & Therapies segment. The combined division is now named Infusion Therapies & Platforms, or ITP. In addition, certain sales previously reported within other, primarily related to products and services provided through manufacturing facilities aligned with ITP, are now included within the division. Sales in our Medical Products & Therapies segment, or MPT, were $2.1 billion, an increase 5% in the quarter. Within MPT, sales of our new Infusion Therapies & Platforms division totaled $1.7 billion, an increase 4%. Growth was driven by drug compounding and IV Solutions. This growth was partially offset by lower sales within infusion systems and injectables.

Anita Zielinski

Within IV Solutions, performance reflects growth off the new lower baseline of demand following clinical practice changes in the market. In infusion systems, results in the quarter reflect the net impact of lower sales due to the ongoing shipment and installation hold of the Novum IQ LVP, customer returns, and transitions to Spectrum. Importantly, demand for Spectrum IQ remains steady. Consistent with the first quarter, we did not see a material impact from Novum LVP related returns in the second quarter. Performance in the quarter also reflects continued strong demand for our drug compounding services, which grew double digits. This strength was partially offset by lower injectable sales due to supply constraints and continued softness in certain pre-mix products. Sales in Advanced Surgery totaled $331 million and grew 12%.

Anita Zielinski

Results reflect continued strong demand and increased volumes from our global portfolio of hemostats and sealants, strong commercial execution across regions, and steady procedure volumes. MPT's adjusted operating margin totaled 19.3% for the quarter, decreasing 350 basis points. Results reflect higher manufacturing costs, including lower absorption and the unfavorable impact from the Section 122 tariffs. Performance also reflects the unfavorable prior year cost timing comparison, as well as a lower contribution from pricing. These were partially offset by the benefit related to the IEEPA tariff refund, as well as increased sales volumes. In our Healthcare Systems & Technologies segment, or HST, sales totaled $801 million, an increase 4% in the quarter. Within HST, sales of our Care & Connectivity Solutions or CCS division were $502 million and grew 5%.

Anita Zielinski

Within CCS, performance was driven by strong Patient Support Systems volumes globally, including execution against the U.S. backlog and growth across international markets. To date in the U.S., we have not observed any change in hospital capital spending, and our order book continues to reflect solid demand. However, given broader macroeconomic uncertainty, we continue to closely monitor the environment. Front Line Care sales were $299 million and grew 2%. Performance in the quarter reflects continued momentum from Connex 360 and the timing of large customer deals relative to the first quarter. Partially offsetting these benefits were planned global product exits in the portfolio. HST adjusted operating margin totaled 20.3% for the quarter, flat compared to the prior year period. Results benefited from the tariff refund, as well as increased sales volumes. These benefits were offset by the previously discussed unfavorable year-over-year comparison related to cost timing.

Anita Zielinski

Finally, other sales, which now solely represent MSA revenue from Vantive, totaled $83 million. As a reminder, these sales are included in our reported growth, but they are not reflected in our organic growth. Moving through the rest of the second quarter P&L. Adjusted gross margins were 38.6%, a decrease of 210 basis points driven by the previously discussed headwinds and cost of goods sold. These impacts were partially offset by the tariff refund benefit. Adjusted SG&A totaled $648 million, or 21.9% of sales, a decrease of 80 basis points. This reflects the benefits from previously implemented cost actions. Adjusted R&D spending totaled $125 million, or 4.2% of sales. TSA income and other reimbursements totaled $52 million in the quarter, which came in favorable versus expectations. This favorability was offset by higher TSA related expenses and therefore did not have a material net impact to earnings.

Anita Zielinski

Altogether, these factors resulted in an adjusted operating margin of 14.2%, a decrease of 90 basis points. The year-over-year change reflects the same underlying factors discussed earlier, including higher manufacturing cost and the unfavorable prior year comparison, partially offset by the benefit from the tariff refund. Net interest expense and other expense totaled $59 million in the quarter. The adjusted tax rate for the quarter was 19.9%, driven primarily by the mix of earnings across jurisdictions. In total, adjusted earnings were $0.56 per share for the quarter. Before turning to our 2026 outlook, I want to comment on cash flow and liquidity. Second quarter free cash flow was $181 million, improving sequentially from the first quarter and reflecting continued progress in cash generation. This progress was driven by improved operational performance and focused execution across targeted areas of working capital.

Anita Zielinski

We remain focused on strengthening cash flow generation and improving the balance sheet. Reducing leverage remains our top near-term capital allocation priority, and we continue to target approximately three times net leverage by year-end. Turning to our updated outlook for the full year 2026. For the full year, we now expect total sales growth to be 3%-4% on a reported basis. This reflects current foreign exchange rates, which are expected to contribute approximately 100 basis points to top-line growth for the year. In addition, reported sales are expected to include a headwind of approximately $25 million from MSA revenues from Vantive, representing approximately 30 basis points of impact on reported growth. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange and MSA revenues, we now expect organic sales growth of 2%-3% for 2026.

Anita Zielinski

This reflects the stronger performance year-to-date and our expectation for continued growth in the second half. As it relates to the segments, in MPT, we now expect full year organic sales to grow low single digits. This reflects stronger year-to-date performance, including in drug compounding. As a reminder, the year-over-year comparison in infusion systems improves in the second half as we lap the shipment and installation hold of Novum LVP. Our outlook continues to incorporate potential customer uncertainty surrounding the Novum ship and installation hold. In HST, we continue to expect full year organic sales to grow low single digits, supported by anticipated contributions from both the CCS and Front Line Care divisions. Turning to our outlook for other P&L line items and key assumptions beginning with tariffs. We continue to expect approximately $40 million of impact, net of mitigating actions in the second half of the year.

Anita Zielinski

TSA income and other reimbursements is now expected to range between $155 million-$165 million. Higher TSA income is expected to be offset by higher TSA related expenses, and therefore not expected to have a material net impact to earnings. We continue to expect full-year adjusted operating margin to range between 13%-14%. We now expect our non-operating expenses, which include net interest expense and other income and expense, to total between $260 million-$280 million. We continue to anticipate our full-year tax rate to range between 18.5% and 19.5%. We continue to expect our diluted share count to average approximately 518 million shares for the year. Given the tariff refund in the quarter, we are raising our full-year adjusted earnings from $1.85-$2.05 per diluted share to $1.95-$2.15 per share.

Anita Zielinski

While we are not providing quarterly guidance, I will offer some additional color on how we expect performance to progress over the remainder of the year. Overall, we are reiterating the framework we have consistently laid out for 2026. Known mechanical headwinds in the first half, followed by expected improvement in the second half. The drivers of this improvement remain consistent with what we laid out last quarter. First, we continue to expect higher volumes and the associated operating leverage in the second half of the year relative to the first half. This is consistent with our historic seasonality and aligns with our updated outlook for sales. Second, we continue to expect to see the benefits from the cost structure actions taken earlier this year. As I noted in the quarter, we have already begun to realize these.

Anita Zielinski

Third, as previously referenced, the higher cost inventory produced at the end of 2025 has now rolled through our P&L. With respect to free cash flow, our performance through the first half represents meaningful progress and supports our expectation for improved free cash flow generation in 2026 relative to 2025. In closing, I am also encouraged by both our second quarter results, as well as the continued traction we are seeing across the organization from Baxter GPS. That, we can now open up the call for Q&A.

Operator

Thank you. We will now begin the question and answer session. If you have a question, please press star followed by the number one on your touch-tone phone. If you wish to remove yourself from the queue, press star one again. If you are using a speakerphone, please lift the handset to ask your question. That we may be respectful of everyone's time, please limit your comments to one question with one brief follow-up. We appreciate everyone's consideration as we would like to provide as many of you as possible the opportunity to ask a question. We will pause for a moment while the list is being compiled. I would like to remind participants that this call is being recorded, and a digital replay will be available on the Baxter International website for 60 days at www.baxter.com. Your first question from the line of Robert Marcus of J.P. Morgan.

Operator

Robert, your question please.

Robert Marcus

Great. Good morning and congrats on the nice 2Q. I will ask both my questions up front here. Clearly a better than expected result on the top and bottom line in second quarter. I would love if you could speak to some of the drivers of the acceleration on the top line and the confidence in the guidance raise. Same question on the bottom line, but it does appear like there were a number of one-time items in 2Q, and you did raise the EPS guide less than the 2Q beat, implying perhaps softer second half underlying EPS. Then on 2027, given the one-time items, do you still feel confident you will be able to grow EPS next year? Thanks a lot.

Andrew Hider

Yeah. Hey, good morning, Robbie. Look, if I do a step back, I'll walk through this for you in pieces. First, we're pleased with the quarter. This demonstrates continued steady progress on our strategic priorities and improved execution across the business. Even more importantly is we saw broad-based operational performance improvement and all segments and divisions were growing. A couple call-outs. In MPT, we saw strength driven by double-digit growth in drug compounding. We also saw continued strong performance in our Advanced Surgery business, and also, while the baseline was lower, we saw a strong performance in our IV Solutions organization. In HST, CCS benefited from strong Patient Support Systems demand, and within our FLC business, our Connex 360 product line continues to resonate well with customers, and we see improved performance on our funnel and our ability to execute.

Andrew Hider

As a reminder, and I did walk through this, or we did walk through this in our prepared remarks, there was a tariff refund that was not contemplated initially. It's about $0.11. Absent this, we continue to be focused on how we're going to strengthen the organization and continue to perform. As we look at 2027, the path to 2027 is through execution in 2026, and especially the second half of 2026. While certainly pleased with the quarter, it's one quarter. Our team is focused on driving the business and continuing to execute through the remainder of the year. As we know, the non-reoccurring tariff benefit won't flow through next year. We're going to give you additional color on 2027 at the appropriate time. Right now, we're focused on executing in 2026.

Operator

Travis Steed of Bank of America is on the line with a question. Travis, please state your question.

Travis Steed

Hey, congrats. I guess Q2 was a pretty high CD ratio. Nice to see. Maybe I would start with the Q2. I'm curious how big the drug compounding was in Q2. How much of that, was that 20% plus? Is that something that drove more of the upside this quarter? Just given the mix on gross margin was a little bit light. If there's anything you could say on drug compounding this quarter and how much that was of the beat.

Kevin Moran

Hey, Travis, this is Kevin. We did call out drug compounding as a good chunk of the beat in the quarter. When you think about our raise for the second half of the year, it kind of reflects what we saw in the second quarter. It grew double digits. You're absolutely right, that inherently does have lower margin. That does impact our mix.

Andrew Hider

I do want to add on this a little bit. While we're certainly pleased with the double-digit growth, additionally, this business has favorable cash conversion and there is some improvement on where we're focused on driving margin at a better place. Overall, again, pleased with this. We have some work to do to get this more in line with the overall Baxter performance.

Travis Steed

Makes sense. I did want to push a little bit more on the guide. The earnings beat $0.19 this quarter. Tax, the tariff refund $0.11, TSA $0.04, lower interest $0.02-$0.03, only raising by $0.10. Is this just being conservative on the second half? Curious how you're thinking about the TSA income dynamic and the headwind for next year. Is that something you can offset or have to lap?

Kevin Moran

Hey, Travis, let me start real quick just on the TSA. Then I'll turn it back to Andrew on kind of the overall confidence in the second half. We did see higher TSA income in the quarter than we were expecting. Importantly, we also saw higher TSA-related expenses. When we think about it at a net level, at the operating income, it was not a material impact. It's the same story for the full year. Yes, expecting higher TSA income. You should think about it as not a big change when we're thinking about dropping through to the bottom line.

Andrew Hider

Yeah, not much more to add here except, look, we're pleased with the performance in the quarter. A lot of work remains and our team is very focused on this. It's just one quarter. To your point, CD ratio, we are very focused on executing for the second half of the year, getting ready for 2027 and aligning the organization around how we perform. At its core is how we align GPS in action and that becoming our driver across the organization.

Operator

Larry Biegelsen of Wells Fargo is on the line with a question. Larry, your question please.

Larry Biegelsen

Good morning. Thanks for taking the question. Congrats on the progress here, Andrew. Maybe a little bit more of an update on Novum IQ. You talked about it early in the validation process. What are the next steps here, Andrew? If you don't get Novum back on the market, how durable is Spectrum IQ as a workhorse pump?

Andrew Hider

Yeah. Good morning, Larry. A couple items here. Punch line is we're making progress. Now we continue to closely work with regulatory authorities. We support our current Novum LVP customers. They're working with the mitigating actions that are in place. As we do a step back, we like our total pump portfolio. We have Novum Syringe, we have Spectrum LVP, and they're on the IQX platform. As I mentioned in my prepared remarks, we've even launched PeerView that enables these to truly bring higher value for our customers. Overall, we're pleased with our total offering. We're pleased with the value proposition it brings to customers. We're continuing to drive to when it's ready, launch Novum LVP. That said, we're very focused on bringing that value to customers today. Continuing to expand our value proposition.

Larry Biegelsen

That's helpful. Andrew, obviously compounding was strong. You talked about that earlier. Talk about injectables and anesthesia, what the plan is to turn that around. When we had visibility on that, those were declining, I believe. Thanks for taking the question.

Andrew Hider

Absolutely. Look, this business, it remained pressured due to ongoing supply constraints and continued softness in premix. Now, we are taking very specific actions to improve some supply conditions, select products. There's an area, and I've talked about this in the past, and we're staying very focused on a contract manufacturer, and that does remain constrained. We are working extremely close with them on how to improve operational efficiency, how to align around product and continued high level of quality within the solution set. Just to outline this, our full year guidance does have this built in, so we are in our stages around how do we execute and continue to perform in this space. We have taken that into account our full year.

Operator

Vijay Kumar of Evercore is on the line with a question. Vijay, your question please.

Vijay Kumar

Hi, Andrew. Good morning, and congrats on a nice sprint here. Maybe just on this performance within second quarter, Andrew, some questions around were there any one-timers. Was there any restocking benefit from IV fluid? I know the market went through a rebasing effort, if you will. Also, any quarter-end phenomena. Talk about phasing in the quarter, anything that stand out to you.

Andrew Hider

Yes. Let me take those in two areas. First, in IV Solutions, look, we didn't see a massive restocking, so I'd say it's not material in our overall IV business. That said, this is the new norm, and we've talked about how this is the baseline and how our product set and our alignment with customers, we bring a high value here. We feel good about our market position, but we don't rest on this. We're always focused on how to improve for our customers and align this business to execute. We have a high value creation. We have the ability to help our customers as they utilize this solution set, but we are at the new norm within the business.

Andrew Hider

The second piece of your question throughout the quarter, look, alls I can say is we saw broad-based strength across the business, and certainly, when we look, and I called out a few of the areas that we saw some additional increase throughout the quarter. We're pleased across the board. That said, we've got a lot of work to do to finish the year strong, and our teams are very focused on rolling our sleeves up, continuing to execute, and utilizing our GPS as our guide forward.

Vijay Kumar

That's helpful, Andrew. Maybe one more product-related question, if you will, on Connected Care. There's been some concerns around maybe cautiousness by hospitals on utilization, and maybe that spills over into their CapEx outlook. Can you talk about your order book within Connected Care? That business did well. Any signs of slowdown that we're seeing from a customer CapEx spending standpoint?

Andrew Hider

Couple items here, and I'll walk through what our teams are executing to. I'll walk through my current engagement with customers and how we view this space. Demand remains stable, and this is really supported by U.S. strong capital order book and funnel visibility across PSS and our GSS business. We've continued to see our ability to support our customers as they're investing for the future. That said, we are staying very close to this market, and we want to ensure that we are aligned with their needs. I will also additionally add that I have met, and part of my standard work as a CEO is to meet with customers on an ongoing basis, and what we're hearing from them is a few items. First, their continued focus on how they're investing to improve their workflow, improve their process alignment to our business.

Andrew Hider

Number two, I've been able to see real-time, firsthand how our new stretcher is resonating with our customers and the excitement that they have around this Dynamo platform and what it's going to mean to them as far as the ability to utilize this in their network. Early days, but certainly pleased with the progress. All that to be said of, we are not immune. We continue to stay very focused on this to ensure we've got alignment for our business.

Operator

Pito Chickering of Deutsche Bank is on the line with a question. Please state your question.

Pito Chickering

Hey, good morning, guys. Thanks for taking my question. I'm going to ask the drug compounding question a little differently. Just looking at the organic revenue guidance raise of 200 to 300 basis points and the implied EPS the back half of the year is a little lighter than the Street, despite some good guys like interest. What is the margin contribution of the guidance raise that you put into guidance?

Kevin Moran

Hey, Pito, this is Kevin. Just to kind of reiterate a couple of points, drug compounding, a good chunk of the performance in Q2, and when we think about overall first half performance, organic sales grew about 2%. Our new full-year sales outlook of 2%-3% means we expect sales to be at that growth rate or higher. Continued momentum. When we think about the EPS guidance raise, I think the easiest way to think about it is that reflects the tariff refund that we received in the quarter. That was $0.11. That was one time in nature. That was not previously included in our EPS guidance, and that is what the new EPS guidance reflects, is the inclusion of that refund in Q2.

Pito Chickering

Okay. Let me ask this I guess a little differently. You're raising EPS by the tariff. You're increasing revenue in the back half of the year on continuation, but there's no EPS flow through on that despite it, I think $0.03 coming from better interest rates. I guess, can you give me the good guys and bad guys on margins in the back half of the year versus previous guidance and things like oil and shipping costs for keep with that in there as well. Thank you.

Kevin Moran

Yeah. I think the punchline is from an operating margin standpoint, we've been pretty clear about first half headwinds followed by expected improvement in the second half. The new item this quarter is the tariff refund, which is non-recurring, in Q2. If you're thinking about kind of modeling on a sequential basis for the balance of the year You normalize for the tariff benefit in Q2, you think about the drivers for sequential improvement that we've talked about. Higher volumes in the second half, benefits from the cost structure actions. We've already seen that start to manifest in our Q2 results, rolling through the higher cost inventory produced at the end of 2025, which importantly, we saw that recognized in the first half of the year. That item specifically is going to be a Q2 to Q3 sequential improvement.

Kevin Moran

I think, again, as kind of an overall, the framework we've laid out is consistent. Obviously, the first half of the year from a top-line has come in a bit stronger than we expected, but we are still very confident on the full-year guidance and reiterated kind of the same underlying operating performance that we had before.

Andrew Hider

Just to add additional minor color around the supply question. Look, it's something we continue to closely monitor. Like everyone else, we've seen some pressure here. It has been manageable and it's within our guidance. To be very clear, it's within our guidance. Overall, I would say we're taking a very proactive approach on where we might have challenges, we take mitigating actions and align around what actions are going to get us back in line. On oil prices, I've talked to that quite a bit. With the Vantive spin, it's obviously lesser of an impact on our business, therefore we're continuing to monitor it. That said, we've been able to offset.

Operator

Patrick Wood of UBS is on the line with a question. Please state your question.

Patrick Wood

Beautiful. Thanks for taking the questions. I'll ask them both upfront. I guess first one, if you could unpack a little bit more on the Advanced Surgery side, the hemostats and sealants growth. That's stayed a lot stronger for a lot longer than at least we had anticipated. That's one. The second one, I know you're not guiding on 2027, but as we contemplate 2027 and the TSA income that comes out, is that still EPS neutral in that year, or is this something that we should at least be conceiving could be a factor to put into our model for next year? Thanks.

Andrew Hider

To walk through Advanced Surgery. Look, pleased with the progress here. Strong performance for the team, strong alignment with customers, and having traveled with this team and having been seeing firsthand with our customers our product set, our enablement, and how our customers really look to us to help in the patient and having high patient care really aligns with our mission. Saving sustained lives at Baxter is very important to us, and this business is front and center on that. Strong performance, strong growth. The team continues to align around strong demand and increased volumes for our global portfolio. Execution, and staying very close to our customers through this. As far as 2027, look, of course there's a lot of moving parts. We're laser-focused on finishing 2026 strong.

Andrew Hider

We have aligned around the actions we have to take as an organization and being very focused on what those align to for getting us ready as we finish the year and get ready for 2027. We will provide more color on 2027 as the year comes closer. That includes TSA, that includes a continued view on markets, and ensuring that we've got clear focus on how we want to execute to finish the year out.

Operator

Joanne Wuensch of Citi is on the line with a question. Please state your question.

Joanne Wuensch

Good morning, and thank you for taking the question. Really nice revenue results. I have two quick ones. The first one has to do with just the overall hospital environment and procedures. There is a pretty active debate out there on how much changes to the ACA is impacting procedures. With your presence in the hospital, I suspect you have a frontline seat. The second one is I just want to make sure I understand the moving parts and gross margins impact of tariffs on the second quarter specifically, and then how should we think about full year gross margins and that strength or recovery. Thank you.

Andrew Hider

All right. I'll take the first part of that. Look, if I just do a step back, overall, we're not seeing any changes with behavior from our customers and the overall environment. We're staying very close to this. We're not immune. That said, we have not seen a change in behavior and/or view on our product set. We are staying very close around this. As a reminder, I visit customers often. We align around understanding what their needs are, and we're launching new products to expand that and to truly support their focus on patient care and also workplace optimization. Baxter has a strong ability to support that.

Kevin Moran

As far as gross margins for the full year, we haven't provided explicit guidance at the gross margin level. When you think about some of the items we've talked about and some of the moving pieces, mostly focused on operating margin, they're obviously relevant to gross margin. Obviously the tariff refund in Q2 was a positive. Rolling through the higher cost inventory, that was the largest headwind this quarter. As we've noted, importantly, we've now cycled through that. If you're looking at Q2 as kind of your starting point after normalizing for the tariff refund, you should expect sequential improvement for the balance of the year.

Operator

Rick Wise of Stifel is on the line with a question. Please state your question.

Rick Wise

Hi, good morning, Andrew. Two questions. My first is on Front Line Care. Up 2% in the quarter. Anita, you highlighted the planned product exits. My question is, can you quantify the specific 2Q impact on growth? What would it have been ex that? Maybe it wasn't large enough to really quantify, but when do we get past that? Maybe a bigger question is how do we think about Front Line Care growth going forward? Or what are you aspiring to? Is this a mid-single digit grower? Is there something in the innovation pipeline that's going to change the trajectory? Then I have a follow-up. Thank you.

Kevin Moran

Hey, Rick, this is Kevin. Maybe let me start here just talking about the Q2, then I'll turn it back to Andrew for a broader innovation discussion. As it relates to Q2, Connex 360 did contribute to the growth year-over-year of Front Line Care. Obviously, in the context of total Baxter, it's less of a contributor. But for Front Line Care, it was impactful in the quarter. Andrew, maybe a little more on the second part of his question on innovation more broadly.

Andrew Hider

Yeah. The piece on planned exits, I would say they're not material, but we do monitor these. I'll just say a couple items on this business and overall. We are focused on really alignment to where we have value creation for customers. Part of that is going to be strong portfolio management. Look, I'm a markets first person, so we want to understand where we have value for customers, align where that value is, and ensure that we're not only launching products to meet that and expand that, we sustain our solution set that's going to keep our customers in a good place. So think about this as base hits, that constant drive to always get better, be better, and be in front and relevant in front of our customer base. Overall long term within this business, we've seen improvement.

Andrew Hider

It's early days, I would say that the leadership team is really laser focused on how to execute and the right value creation for customers and then ultimately what that means for the business growth.

Rick Wise

Yeah. Andrew, this is more for you and sort of a big picture question. Obviously, these are your words you said earlier, you've made continuous positive progress. It's impressive. It's good to see the quarter. I know you're pleased with the progress. I suspect my sense of you is I doubt you're satisfied. My question is where has it gone better, faster, bigger than you? What's the biggest, better, faster thing that's happened that you're pleased about? Where are you, I don't want to say disappointed or frustrated, but where would you have wished it could go faster? Maybe talk to us about how you personally are evolving your focus to make the faster stuff go faster and make the stuff that's maybe been a little slower than you would have wanted turn around better. Thank you for that.

Andrew Hider

You bet, Rick. Let me just walk through a couple items. I've been very pleased with how GPS has taken shape across the organization. Look, having done this before and I've been a part of many organizations that have aligned, the team at Baxter has really embraced this. If I were to coin a phrase, boring in consistency, brilliant in execution. We want to be consistent and we want to continue to execute. The nuance that I want you to think through is, and I reference this, and think about this, year-to-date, we have done over 400 continuous improvement events. We have almost 200 in flight, and we have another 400 planned in the pipeline. When we think through that is the driving force. As if you look at the flywheel of our GPS system, it starts with strategy.

Andrew Hider

It starts with understanding the markets, understanding the position, understanding the products, then it aligns to what are the breakthroughs that we want to drive within each business, within each segment? Then it goes to how we're going to measure KPIs. We look at annual, we look at quarter, we look at monthly, we look at daily where possible. Then it's on our teams to execute. I travel a lot. I get to see firsthand how the teams have embraced this concept, this drive, their passion for making tomorrow better than today. I can go reference point after reference point. I can give examples after examples. To me, that's how we think about the future. There's no one innovation that will define our future. There's no one continuous improvement event that will define.

Andrew Hider

It's the accumulation and combination of all of them that puts us in that execution cadence. That said, it starts with leaders. Even this week, we have a leadership team here that's going through their view on how to get better every day, how to build capable teams, that drive and that passion around making tomorrow better than today. We're early in our journey. You nailed it in the question, which is, am I ever satisfied? No. I'm in that constant drive to always get better, but I am pleased with our progress. That said, one quarter is one quarter. It's that drive to finish the year strong, get ready for 2027, launch new exciting products that are base hits, and build the team's momentum around how we continue to perform, continue to drive. Thank you for the question.

Operator

Matt Taylor of Jefferies is on the line with a question. Please state your question.

Matt Taylor

Hi. Good morning. Thank you for taking the question. First, I wanted to ask a follow-up on the operating environment, because there are several places in the release and the materials where you talked about stable demand for patient support for your products. It really seems like you're saying nothing's changing with CapEx spending. Could you be specific? Are you seeing any impact from ACA or HCBS subsidies or Medicaid? Do you expect any impact from that? If you could help to frame that risk at all, that'd be great.

Andrew Hider

Yeah. A couple items here. Look, we are not immune. We stay very focused on this. Look, we assess customer base. We go through all the external documentation. What I can tell you is net-net, we've not seen a massive change in behavior, in buying behavior. We're staying very close around it. I walked through a little bit of that earlier around funnel, around outlook. Again, we're seeing strong demand for our product set. That said, we're staying very close to this to ensure we've got alignment with customers on their buying behaviors and their needs. Overall, no update on our expectation. That said, it's something we are continuing to monitor and continuing to assess.

Matt Taylor

Got it. Thank you. Could I ask one follow-up on 2027? I know you're not going to be specific, but previously you had talked about confidence in at least being able to grow the top line in earnings in 2027. Can we still assume that's the case, or maybe you have more confidence in that now that you've produced good results here in Q2?

Andrew Hider

A couple things. I'll just walk through it. Look, we are pleased with our progress. No one quarter is going to define us. Now we're pleased with the progress in Q2. That said, as I talk to the team, look, we've got a lot of areas we want to target and drive in the second half of the year. Certainly, we don't want that to get ahead of ourselves. As we look at 2027, to get there goes through 2026. We'll give update and color at the appropriate time. Right now we are laser focused on executing for the remainder of the year.

Matt Taylor

Okay.

Operator

Josh Jennings of TD Cowen is on the line with a question. Please state your question.

Josh Jennings

Hi. Good morning. Thanks for taking the questions. Andrew, I know Baxter's had some comp variability as we're trying to assess each business unit and the go forward, as Matt's question addressed about 2027. I was hoping to just get an update on your team's view on the weighted average market growth rate of the portfolio. I know various business units, many different product lines. Historically, we've thought of the weighted average market growth rate of Baxter's portfolio around 3%-4%. Does that hold true when comps stabilize and as you look forward? Where do you see Baxter's portfolio? Which business units are primed to gain share as you reach that steady state in maybe in 2027 and beyond? Thanks for taking the question.

Andrew Hider

You bet. Look, if I just do a step back, look, we view this as a low single digit area, and that's overall. If we then piece this apart and we go into different areas of the business, we've obviously seen and continue to see strong areas and I'll just call out a couple. We've seen strong performance in our Advanced Surgery business. Compounding has obviously been a strong grower. That said, all of our business are focused on executing and bringing value and innovation to our customers and alignment to that cadence around that. What gets me excited as we continue our execution journey is how, and I know we didn't talk about this, but how we're looking at leverage.

Andrew Hider

We talked in our prepared remarks around getting to approximate 3x by year-end, obviously gaining confidence in that, gaining ability, and what that means for our future. How we think about capital allocation with our alignment to internal investment as well as potential tuck-in M&A, as well as other opportunities that are going to really be part of the future narrative. That said, it's about execution. It's about how we align. It's about GPS being at the core of everything we do and our people to align to that future. Thank you.

Josh Jennings

Thank you.

Operator

There are no further questions at this time. I will now turn the call back to Andrew for closing remarks.

Andrew Hider

Thanks, operator. We are encouraged by the progress we're making and remain focused on the work ahead. Our turnaround is gaining traction. Execution is improving. We're building momentum across the business. We believe this positions Baxter to deliver more consistent performance, sustainable growth, and long-term value for shareholders. Thank you for your time. Appreciate the interest. Stay safe and goodbye for now.

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's conference call with Baxter International. Thank you for participating.

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-07-29

Watch These 4 Medical Product Stocks for Q2 Earnings: Beat or Miss?

Zacks
The Zacks Medical - Products industry is expected to report another quarter of resilient revenue growth, supported by healthy procedure volumes, favorable demographic trends and continued investments by hospitals in advanced medical technologies. However, investors are likely to focus less on demand and more on profitability, as manufacturers continue to navigate a challenging operating environment marked by tariffs, persistent cost inflation and higher logistics expenses. Rising prices of semiconductors, electronic components, metals and freight are expected to have kept pressure on gross margins, forcing companies to rely on pricing actions, productivity initiatives and supply-chain optimization to protect earnings. Robust adoption of robotic-assisted surgery, electrophysiology, structural heart therapies, AI-enabled imaging, radiopharmaceuticals and digital health solutions must have continued to support premium product demand across hospitals and outpatient settings. Healthy hospital capital spending, expanding recurring revenue streams from services and software, and strong innovation pipelines are also likely to have provided stability. Nevertheless, company-specific operational disruptions, product remediation efforts and selective weakness in certain end markets could have resulted in mixed earnings performances, with margin expansion being more challenging than revenue growth. The Medical - Products industry is housed within the broader Zacks Medical sector. Per the latest Earnings Trends report, total Medical sector earnings are expected to decline 17.4% in the April-June quarter on 5.2% higher revenues A few of the major companies from the Medical-Products industry are lined up to report their quarterly numbers in the coming days. Let's see how things might have shaped up for Stryker SYK, Baxter International BAX, DexCom DXCM and Merit Medical Systems MMSI prior to their announcements. Our quantitative model predicts an earnings beat for a company if it has a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). This combination increases the chances of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Let’s delve deeper. Stryker The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SYK’s second-quarter 2026 re…Read full document

The Zacks Medical - Products industry is expected to report another quarter of resilient revenue growth, supported by healthy procedure volumes, favorable demographic trends and continued investments by hospitals in advanced medical technologies. However, investors are likely to focus less on demand and more on profitability, as manufacturers continue to navigate a challenging operating environment marked by tariffs, persistent cost inflation and higher logistics expenses. Rising prices of semiconductors, electronic components, metals and freight are expected to have kept pressure on gross margins, forcing companies to rely on pricing actions, productivity initiatives and supply-chain optimization to protect earnings. Robust adoption of robotic-assisted surgery, electrophysiology, structural heart therapies, AI-enabled imaging, radiopharmaceuticals and digital health solutions must have continued to support premium product demand across hospitals and outpatient settings. Healthy hospital capital spending, expanding recurring revenue streams from services and software, and strong innovation pipelines are also likely to have provided stability. Nevertheless, company-specific operational disruptions, product remediation efforts and selective weakness in certain end markets could have resulted in mixed earnings performances, with margin expansion being more challenging than revenue growth. The Medical - Products industry is housed within the broader Zacks Medical sector. Per the latest Earnings Trends report, total Medical sector earnings are expected to decline 17.4% in the April-June quarter on 5.2% higher revenues A few of the major companies from the Medical-Products industry are lined up to report their quarterly numbers in the coming days. Let's see how things might have shaped up for Stryker SYK, Baxter International BAX, DexCom DXCM and Merit Medical Systems MMSI prior to their announcements. Our quantitative model predicts an earnings beat for a company if it has a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). This combination increases the chances of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Let’s delve deeper. Stryker The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SYK’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $6.56 billion, indicating 8.9% growth year over year. Management anticipates second-quarter 2026 sales to improve sequentially as recovery of deferred orders starts following a disruption in the first quarter due to a cyber incident. New product launches, including Mako 4, Mako Shoulder, Mako RPS and Triathlon Gold, are expected to have supported customer interest. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings has remained stable over the past 30 days at $3.46 per share. The consensus mark implies a 10.5% upside from the year-ago reported numbers. Stryker’s margins are expected to have improved sequentially with production normalization, although tariff-related costs and higher input prices might have continued to weigh on gross margin. SYK is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 30, after market close. Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for SYK this time around, as it has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. Stryker Corporation price-eps-surprise | Stryker Corporation Quote Baxter International The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BAX’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is currently pegged at $2.79 billion, which indicates a 0.6% decline from the year-ago figures. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BAX’s second-quarter 2026 earnings has been revised downward by 1 cent over the past 30 days to 36 cents per share. The consensus mark for earnings implies a 39% downside from that recorded a year ago. Baxter is expected to have delivered a modestly improved second-quarter sales, though earnings are likely to have been constrained by ongoing operational headwinds, inflationary cost pressures and the continued shipment hold on its Novum large-volume infusion pump. While end-market demand remained healthy across several businesses, execution-related challenges and difficult year-over-year comparisons are expected to have weighed on profitability. BAX is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 30, before market opens. Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for BAX this time around, as it has an Earnings ESP of -0.99% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) at present. Baxter International Inc. price-eps-surprise | Baxter International Inc. Quote DexCom DexCom is expected to have delivered another quarter of healthy revenue growth, supported by continued demand for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, expanding reimbursement, and sustained adoption of its recently launched G7 15 Day platform. The quarterly performance is likely to have benefited from increasing physician awareness of broader reimbursement coverage and continued conversion of existing users to the G7 15 Day system. Margins are likely to have been supported by manufacturing efficiencies, normalized freight costs, supply-chain improvements, and the initial contribution from G7 15 Day. However, uncertainty around resin cost and fuel price must have remained. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DXCM’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is currently pegged at $1.3 billion, which indicates an 11.9% uptick from the year-ago reported numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DXCM’s second-quarter 2026 earnings has remained stable over the past 30 days at 61 cents per share. The consensus mark for earnings implies a 27.1% upside from the year-ago reported figure. DXCM is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 30, after market close. Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for DexCom this time around, as it has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. It had an Earnings ESP of -1.36% and a Zacks Rank of 2 when we issued our second-quarter 2026 earnings preview. DexCom, Inc. price-eps-surprise | DexCom, Inc. Quote Merit Medical Systems Merit Medical Systems is expected to have delivered another quarter of steady revenue growth, supported by continued execution across its therapeutic portfolio, resilient demand for vascular intervention products, and incremental contributions from recent acquisitions. However, DualCap divestiture and ongoing tariff-related costs might have partially offset growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MMSI’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is currently pegged at $404.7 billion, which indicates a 5.8% uptick from the year-ago reported numbers. Therapeutic products are expected to have remained the primary growth engine, led by sustained momentum in cardiac therapies, endoscopy and oncology. Endoscopy should have continued to benefit from strong adoption of the C2 CryoBalloon system and the rollout of the Resilience esophageal stent, while oncology growth is likely to have been aided by the early contribution from View Point Medical and continued demand for the SCOUT platform. Foundational products are also expected to post healthy growth, supported by vascular intervention and access products.  Procedural solutions sales are likely to have been hurt by the continued impact of the DualCap divestiture. OEM performance might have improved sequentially after first-quarter inventory destocking and weaker-than-expected customer orders, with management indicating confidence in a return to mid-single-digit growth. Margins are expected to have remained under pressure from tariffs, freight costs and broader geopolitical uncertainties. However, adjusted earnings are likely to have been supported by improving operating leverage, healthy cash generation and continued execution of the company's Continued Growth Initiatives program. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MMSI’s second-quarter 2026 earnings has remained stable over the past 30 days at 96 cents per share. The consensus mark for earnings implies a 5% downside from the year-ago figures. MMSI is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 30, after market close. Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Merit Medical this time around, as it has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank of 4 at present. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Merit Medical Systems, Inc. Quote Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Baxter International Inc. (BAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Stryker Corporation (SYK) : Free Stock Analysis Report DexCom, Inc. (DXCM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (MMSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

As of 2026-08-22 • Updated weeklySource: Earnings sourceIngestion runbook