Spinoff will unlock Baxter’s value

Article Excerpt

Medical device maker Baxter will soon spin off its kidney care business as a separate firm. That should help unlock some of its value, in part because the stock market finds it easier to value “pure-play” firms that focus on a single business. Longer-term, the new Baxter should also benefit from an aging population and the shift to tele-medicine. BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $41 is a buy. The company (New York symbol BAX; Conservative Growth Portfolio; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 509.4 million; Market cap: $20.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.4; Dividend yield: 2.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.baxter.com) has four divisions: Medical Products and Therapies (34% of 2023 revenue, 45% of earnings) makes sterile IV solutions and infusion systems; Healthcare Systems and Technologies (21%, 22%) makes smart (internet-connected) beds and patient monitoring systems; Pharmaceuticals (15%, 19%) makes injectable drugs and anaesthetics; and Kidney Care (30%, 14%) makes dialysis equipment. In later 2021, Baxter acquired Hill-Rom Holdings Inc. for $10.5 billion. Based in Chicago, Hill-Rom makes intensive-care-unit beds, operating…