Baxter International Inc vs Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock — how do they compare? Baxter International Inc trades at $21.78 (market cap $11.26B), while Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock trades at $298.3 (market cap $8.04B). The key difference: Baxter International Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Baxter International Inc pays a 0.92% dividend while Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BAX | BIO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.26B | $8.04B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $29.22 | $339.75 |
52-Week Low | $15.80 | $241.71 |
Enterprise Value | $18.93B | $7.85B |
Dividend Yield | 0.92% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Baxter International (BAX) trades at $22.57, down 0.22% on the day, with mixed technical signals showing a bullish moving average trend but neutral oscillators. The company reported Q1 2026 earnings beat with $0.36 EPS versus $0.31 expected, though net income margin remains negative at -9.7%. Recent news highlights upcoming Q2 earnings call and sustainability initiatives, while analyst consensus sits at $22.67 price target with 42% buy ratings.
BAX faces fundamental challenges with negative profitability metrics and volatile cash flow, but valuation appears reasonable with P/S of 1.02. The stock offers potential upside to analyst targets if operational improvements materialize, though investors must weigh high debt levels and inconsistent earnings performance against turnaround prospects in the medical technology sector.
BIO trades at $297.58, up 0.5% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $305. The stock shows strong profitability with a 51.87% gross margin and positive net income of $760M in 2025, though recent quarters have seen EPS misses. Cash flow from operations remains robust at $532M, supporting financial stability.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic with analyst support, but risks include earnings volatility and high P/E valuation. The company's return to profitability and solid balance sheet provide a foundation for growth, though investors should monitor execution against future earnings expectations and competitive pressures in the biotech sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Baxter offers a variety of medical instruments and supplies to caregivers. It enhanced its portfolio of hospital-focused offerings by acquiring Hillrom in late 2021. Legacy Baxter offers tools to help patients with acute and chronic kidney failure. It also sells a variety of injectable therapies for use in care settings, such as IV pumps, and administrative sets.
Read more on BAX →Bio-Rad Laboratories, headquartered in Hercules, California, develops, manufactures, and markets products and solutions for the clinical diagnostics and life sciences markets. In diagnostics (53% of sales), Bio-Rad manufactures, sells, and supports test systems and specialized quality controls for clinical laboratories. In life sciences (47% of sales), the firm develops and manufactures a range of instruments and reagents used in research, biopharmaceutical production, and food testing. The company is geographically diverse, with major markets in the Americas (42% of 2021 sales), Europe and Africa (33%), and Asia-Pacific (25%). Bio-Rad owns 37% of Sartorius AG, a laboratory and biopharmaceutical supplier.
Read more on BIO →