Bausch Health Cos (NYSE:BHC) Trading Down 4% After Insider Selling

Key Points

• Bausch Health shares fell 4% to $6.54 after insider Aimee J. Lenar sold 36,827 shares worth approximately $258,894. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing her ownership by 9.91%.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with five analysts rating the stock Hold and two rating it Sell. MarketBeat reports an overall “Reduce” consensus and an average price target of $8.00, despite a recent Zacks upgrade and higher earnings estimates.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.26 in EPS versus a $0.96 consensus and revenue of $2.83 billion versus $2.59 billion expected. Potential improvement at Bausch + Lomb, including revenue growth and margin expansion, could support earnings growth and debt reduction.

Bausch Health Cos Inc. (NYSE:BHC - Get Free Report) shares fell 4% during trading on Friday after an insider sold shares in the company. The company traded as low as $6.54 and last traded at $6.54. Approximately 1,687,438 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 34% from the average daily volume of 2,540,064 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.81.

Specifically, insider Aimee J. Lenar sold 36,827 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.03, for a total value of $258,893.81. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 334,853 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,354,016.59. This trade represents a 9.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BHC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Bausch Health Cos from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Bausch Health Cos to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Bausch Health Cos from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Bausch Health Cos from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Bausch Health Cos from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Bausch Health Cos currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $8.00.

Key Bausch Health Cos News

Here are the key news stories impacting Bausch Health Cos this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded BHC to a No. 2 (Buy) ranking, citing stronger earnings prospects and revisions that could support continued investor interest. Bausch Upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several forward EPS estimates, including FY2027 earnings from $3.59 to $3.84 and FY2028 earnings from $3.02 to $3.04. Quarterly forecasts for 2027 and 2028 were also increased, reinforcing the earnings-revision catalyst. Rising Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: An analysis of Bausch + Lomb points to a potential turnaround driven by 9% year-over-year second-quarter revenue growth, margin expansion, stronger operating cash flow, and increased sales of higher-margin intraocular lenses and branded pharmaceuticals. These trends could aid EBITDA growth and deleveraging. Bausch Plus Lomb Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains mixed: Zacks Research still rates BHC “Strong Sell,” while the broader consensus is “Reduce” with an $8 target, limiting the impact of the more favorable Zacks Rank upgrade.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Aimee Lenar sold 36,827 shares worth approximately $258,894, reducing her position by 9.91%. The transaction was conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, which makes it a weaker bearish signal but may still weigh modestly on sentiment. Insider Share Sale

Bausch Health Cos Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 54.68. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $5.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.46. The stock has a market cap of $2.45 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.21 and a beta of 0.38.

Bausch Health Cos (NYSE:BHC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.30. Bausch Health Cos had a negative return on equity of 561.95% and a negative net margin of 10.12%.The business had revenue of $2.83 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.59 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Bausch Health Cos Inc. will post 4.35 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bausch Health Cos

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Paulson & CO. Inc. purchased a new stake in Bausch Health Cos during the second quarter worth $361,151,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in Bausch Health Cos by 24.9% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 11,363,498 shares of the company's stock worth $61,362,000 after purchasing an additional 2,262,894 shares during the last quarter. MFN Partners Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Bausch Health Cos during the second quarter valued at $29,580,000,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $35,748,000 after purchasing an additional 2,038,813 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Bausch Health Cos in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,592,000. Institutional investors own 78.65% of the company's stock.

About Bausch Health Cos

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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