Bausch Health Cos Inc. (NYSE:BHC) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Reduce" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts have given Bausch Health a consensus rating of "Reduce" (1 sell, 4 holds) with an average 12‑month price target of about $8.33, and several recent downgrades and target cuts from firms including Barclays and Weiss Ratings.
• The company missed quarterly EPS expectations ($1.08 reported vs. $1.21 consensus) despite a revenue beat ($2.78B vs. $2.71B), and the stock trades near $5.13 with a one‑year range of $4.25–$8.69 and a market capitalization of roughly $1.91B.
• Institutional investors own a large majority of the stock (about 78.65%), with notable stake increases from Paulson, Goldman Sachs and others over recent quarters.

Shares of Bausch Health Cos Inc. (NYSE:BHC - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Reduce" by the five analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $8.3333.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Bausch Health Cos from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings lowered Bausch Health Cos from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Wall Street Zen cut Bausch Health Cos from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, February 15th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Bausch Health Cos from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Bausch Health Cos in a report on Monday, January 26th.

Bausch Health Cos Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of BHC stock opened at $5.13 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.20 and a beta of 0.37. Bausch Health Cos has a 1 year low of $4.25 and a 1 year high of $8.69. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $5.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 54.68.

Bausch Health Cos (NYSE:BHC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by ($0.13). The company had revenue of $2.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.71 billion. Bausch Health Cos had a net margin of 1.53% and a return on equity of 875.00%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Bausch Health Cos will post 4.41 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bausch Health Cos

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Paulson & CO. Inc. raised its stake in shares of Bausch Health Cos by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Paulson & CO. Inc. now owns 73,255,869 shares of the company's stock valued at $509,128,000 after buying an additional 2,500,000 shares in the last quarter. Goldentree Asset Management LP boosted its position in shares of Bausch Health Cos by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Goldentree Asset Management LP now owns 34,833,431 shares of the company's stock valued at $224,409,000 after acquiring an additional 578,542 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Bausch Health Cos by 4.0% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,241,072 shares of the company's stock valued at $78,808,000 after acquiring an additional 470,968 shares during the period. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. increased its stake in Bausch Health Cos by 14.9% in the second quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. now owns 7,808,487 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,005,000 after acquiring an additional 1,010,987 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in Bausch Health Cos by 65.7% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 5,143,641 shares of the company's stock worth $35,748,000 after purchasing an additional 2,038,813 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.65% of the company's stock.

Bausch Health Cos Company Profile

Bausch Health Cos Inc, formerly known as Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, is a global specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Canada. The company operates through two primary segments: Ophthalmology, led by its Bausch + Lomb franchise, and Diversified Brands, which encompasses prescription dermatology, gastrointestinal, neurology and branded pharmaceutical products. Bausch Health develops, manufactures and markets a range of therapeutic and over-the-counter offerings designed to address conditions such as cataracts, dry eye, glaucoma, acne, rosacea, migraine and gastrointestinal disorders.

The Ophthalmology segment under the Bausch + Lomb name provides products for eye health, including prescription drops, contact lens care solutions, intraocular lenses, surgical instruments and diagnostic devices.

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