Baxter International Inc vs National Beverage Corp. — how do they compare? Baxter International Inc trades at $21.78 (market cap $11.26B), while National Beverage Corp. trades at $30.89 (market cap $2.89B). The key difference: Baxter International Inc is far larger — about 3.9× National Beverage Corp.'s market cap, and Baxter International Inc pays a 0.92% dividend while National Beverage Corp. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BAX | FIZZ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.26B | $2.89B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $29.22 | $47.69 |
52-Week Low | $15.80 | $30.92 |
Enterprise Value | $18.93B | $2.60B |
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.
FIZZ (National Beverage Corp.) trades at $31.13, down 7.95% over 24 hours, with a bearish technical signal and recent earnings misses in three of the last four quarters. The company reported $1.2B revenue and $186.82M net income for 2025, with strong profitability margins but a negative net cash flow of $133.21M. A special dividend of $3.25 per share was declared, payable July 30, 2026, providing a near-term catalyst.
Outlook is mixed: strong fundamentals and dividend support value, but technical weakness and earnings misses signal caution. Risks include competitive pressures and consumer spending trends. Analyst consensus is cautious with 50% sell ratings. The stock presents a high-risk opportunity for dividend-focused investors amid volatility.
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 →National Beverage Corp is one of the top 10 non-alcoholic beverage companies in the U.S. Its portfolio skews toward functional drinks (that is those purporting to offer health benefits) and is anchored by the popular LaCroix sparkling water trademark. Other offerings include Rip It energy drinks, Everfresh juices, and soda brands like Shasta and Faygo. The firm controls most of its production and distribution apparatus, with very little outsourcing. In terms of go-to-market, it uses warehouse distribution for big-box retailers, direct-store-delivery for convenience stores and other small outlets, and food-service distributors for the food-service channel (schools, hospitals, restaurants). It is controlled by chairman and CEO Nick Caporella, who owns over 73% of the common stock.
Read more on FIZZ →