Head to Head Contrast: SeaStar Medical (NASDAQ:ICU) vs. Baxter International (NYSE:BAX)

Baxter International (NYSE:BAX) and SeaStar Medical (NASDAQ:ICU) are both healthcare companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, risk, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Baxter International and SeaStar Medical, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Baxter International	2	9	2	0	2.00
SeaStar Medical	1	0	1	0	2.00

Baxter International currently has a consensus target price of $22.45, suggesting a potential downside of 2.46%. SeaStar Medical has a consensus target price of $8.00, suggesting a potential upside of 128.57%. Given SeaStar Medical’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe SeaStar Medical is more favorable than Baxter International.

Risk & Volatility

Baxter International has a beta of 0.6, suggesting that its share price is 40% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, SeaStar Medical has a beta of -1.05, suggesting that its share price is 205% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Baxter International and SeaStar Medical”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Baxter International	$11.24 billion	1.06	-$957.00 million	($2.07)	-11.12
SeaStar Medical	$1.23 million	12.55	-$12.15 million	($3.91)	-0.90

SeaStar Medical has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Baxter International. Baxter International is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than SeaStar Medical, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

90.2% of Baxter International shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 1.7% of SeaStar Medical shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Baxter International shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of SeaStar Medical shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Baxter International and SeaStar Medical’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Baxter International	-9.27%	16.57%	5.24%
SeaStar Medical	-795.51%	-162.75%	-109.89%

Summary

Baxter International beats SeaStar Medical on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Baxter International

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Medical Products and Therapies, Healthcare Systems and Technologies, Pharmaceuticals, and Kidney Care. The company offers sterile intravenous (IV) solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition therapies; generic injectable pharmaceuticals; surgical hemostat and sealant products, advanced surgical equipment; smart bed systems; patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies; and respiratory health devices, as well as advanced equipment for the surgical space, including surgical video technologies, precision positioning devices, and other accessories. It also provides administrative sets; adhesion prevention products; inhaled anesthesia; drug compounding; chronic and acute dialysis therapies and services, including peritoneal dialysis (PD), hemodialysis (HD), continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT), and other organ support therapies. The company’s products are used in hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, ambulatory surgery centers, doctors’ offices, and patients at home under physician supervision. The company sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through independent distributors, drug wholesalers, and specialty pharmacy or other alternate site providers in approximately 100 countries. It has an agreement with Celerity Pharmaceutical, LLC to develop acute care generic injectable premix and oncolytic products; and a collaborative research agreement with Miromatrix Medical Inc. aiming to advance care for patients with acute liver failure. Baxter International Inc. was incorporated in 1931 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.

About SeaStar Medical

SeaStar Medical Holding Corporation, a medical device company, develops a platform therapy to reduce the consequences of hyperinflammation on vital organs in the United States. The company offers inflammatory response to fend off infections and repair damaged tissue in the body. It is also developing products in various therapeutic areas, including pediatric and adult acute kidney injury on CRRT; cardiorenal syndrome in congestive heart failure; myocardial stunning in end stage renal disease; and hepatorenal syndrome. The company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.