Baxter International Inc vs Ross Stores, Inc. — how do they compare? Baxter International Inc trades at $21.78 (market cap $11.26B), while Ross Stores, Inc. trades at $221 (market cap $70.87B). The key difference: Ross Stores, Inc. is far larger — about 6.3× Baxter International Inc's market cap, and Baxter International Inc pays the higher dividend (0.92%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BAX | ROST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.26B | $70.87B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $29.22 | $240.13 |
52-Week Low | $15.80 | $127.59 |
Enterprise Value | $18.93B | $71.46B |
Dividend Yield | 0.92% | 0.81% |
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.
Ross Stores (ROST) trades at $219.46, down 1.53% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and consistent earnings beats. The company demonstrates strong profitability with a 9.74% net margin and 38.98% ROE, while revenue grew to $21.13B in 2025. Recent news highlights robust Q1 2026 performance with 21% sales growth and expanding margins.
The stock offers upside to the $259 consensus price target, driven by operational efficiency and store expansion. Risks include consumer spending sensitivity and competitive pressures. Analyst sentiment is strongly positive with 64% buy ratings, though valuation multiples like the 30.65 P/E warrant monitoring amid market 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 →Ross Stores is a leading American off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, operating over 1,920 stores (at the end of fiscal 2021) across the Ross Dress for Less and dd's Discounts banners. Ross offers a variety of name-brand products and targets undercutting conventional retailers' regular prices by 20%-70%. The company uses an opportunistic, flexible merchandising approach
Read more on ROST →