Headquartered in Deerfield, IL, Baxter International Inc. BAX, a global medical technology company, recently introduced an infusion system drug library guide to help clinicians identify potential errors in the infusion process during intravenous treatment

Notably, an infusion pump injects fluids, medicines or nutrients into a patient's circulatory system through the veins. Per the latest guide, the drug library will help prevent infusion-related programming errors through the utilization of the smart pumps during intravenous administrations.

Per management, this ‘comprehensive' guide will not only help advance infusion safety, but will also create a solid electronic health record platform to serve clinicians better. In this regard, Baxter’s flagship SIGMA SPECTRUM infusion system has a strong electronic health record (EHR) system.

Baxter International Inc. Price

Baxter International Inc. Price | Baxter International Inc. Quote

We believe the latest development will specifically boost Baxter’s Fluid Systems segment in the long haul. Notably, Baxter witnessed an 8% rise in Fluid Systems revenues to $614 million in the fourth quarter, courtesy of solid orders for the SIGMA SPECTRUM infusion system platform.

Share Price Trend

Baxter has had an impressive run on the bourse over the last one year. The company gained roughly 22%, higher than the Zacks categorized Medical Products sub-industry’s addition of almost 5.7%.

Moreover, the current level compares favorably with the S&P 500’s return of 11.3% over the same time frame. This, together with a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 12.6%, instills confidence in investors.

Despite the bullish market sentiments, Baxter carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), hinting at possibilities of underperformance in the near term.

Bottom Line

Intravenous administration is one of the most exorbitant and vigorous treatment processes in the medical universe. Baxter is undoubtedly a leading player in this niche space. Per a research report by GRAND VIEW RESEARCH, the global intravenous solutions market is expected to reach a worth of $13.79 billion by 2024. This opens up considerable growth opportunities for the company.

Key Picks

Better-ranked stocks in the broader medical sector include Inogen Inc. INGN, Hologic, Inc. HOLX and Sunshine Heart Inc SSH. Notably, all the stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Inogen has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 17.50%. The stock represents an impressive one-year return of 58.5%.

Hologic has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 11.33%. The stock has a stellar one-year return of roughly 15.5%.

Sunshine Heart posted a positive earnings surprise of 58.24% in the last reported quarter. The stock has a stellar EPS growth record (last 3–5 years of actual earnings) of almost 22%.

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