FDA's IV Shortage Resolution Lifts Baxter's Volume to 394th Rank as Stock Rises 0.64%

On August 8, 2025, Baxter International (BAX) rose 0.64% with a trading volume of $250 million, ranking 394th in market activity. The stock’s performance coincided with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement that a prolonged shortage of intravenous and injectable saline solutions had been resolved. The shortage, which began in 2018 and worsened after Hurricane Helene damaged Baxter’s North Carolina facility in 2023, had disrupted healthcare operations nationwide. At the time, the Marion, North Carolina plant produced 60% of the U.S. supply of IV fluids and dialysis solutions, totaling 1.5 million units daily.

The resolution of the shortage could alleviate pressure on Baxter’s production capacity, which had been strained by the hurricane’s impact. Hospitals previously curtailed elective procedures due to limited IV fluid availability, highlighting vulnerabilities in the medical supply chain. Baxter, along with competitors like B. Braun Medical and Fresenius Kabi, now faces renewed focus on supply chain resilience. The FDA emphasized ongoing collaboration with manufacturers to monitor other IV fluid shortages, signaling potential regulatory support for stabilizing the market.

The strategy of purchasing the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day delivered a 166.71% return from 2022 to the present, outperforming the benchmark return of 29.18% by 137.53%. This underscores the role of liquidity concentration in short-term stock performance, particularly in volatile markets. High-volume stocks, including those in the healthcare sector, demonstrated amplified price movements during periods of market turbulence, aligning with the dynamics observed in Baxter’s recent trading activity.