BAX vs. MDLN: Baxter vs. Medline Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Baxter (BAX) and Medline (MDLN) both belong to the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, though BAX is classified under Health Care Equipment while MDLN falls under Health Care Supplies.

Baxter (BAX) has been public since October 27, 1981, giving it decades of market history across multiple cycles, while Medline (MDLN) listed only on December 17, 2025 and lacks comparable through-cycle data.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Medline (MDLN) reports a negative beta of -0.93, suggesting inverse market sensitivity over the measurement window. That is uncommon for ordinary equities and can reflect commodity-linked or hedge-like exposure, but it can also come from statistical noise. Baxter (BAX) has a non-negative beta of 0.62.

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Both BAX and MDLN need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Baxter (BAX) reports a negative ROE of -9.04%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Medline (MDLN) reports 4.85%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Baxter (BAX) reports a negative net margin of -6.23%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Medline (MDLN) reports 1.85%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Both Baxter (BAX) at 9.88% and Medline (MDLN) at 5.22% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Only one side can be read here: Baxter (BAX) reports revenue growth of 5.72%, ranked against its industry; Medline (MDLN) has no revenue growth figure this period.

Only one side can be read here: Medline (MDLN) reports EPS growth of 117.38%, ranked against its industry; Baxter (BAX) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Baxter (BAX) at 1.79 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Medline (MDLN) at 4.04 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.

Medline (MDLN) at 0.65 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Baxter (BAX) at 1.36 uses more debt funding than most peers.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Medline (MDLN) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Baxter (BAX) reports a yield of 0.16%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Baxter (BAX) reports payout ratio above 100% at 154.67%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings; Medline (MDLN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%).

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Medline (MDLN) trades at 90.09 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Baxter (BAX) has no P/E ratio this period.

On P/S ratio, both Baxter (BAX) at 1.15 and Medline (MDLN) at 1.70 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

On P/B ratio, both Baxter (BAX) at 2.05 and Medline (MDLN) at 2.95 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

Valuation Metrics