Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE:BLCO) Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Fourteen firms give Bausch + Lomb a consensus "Hold" (1 sell, 9 hold, 4 buy) with an average 12‑month target of $18.25, though some firms (RBC, Citigroup, Wall Street Zen) have recently raised ratings/targets up to ~$21.
• Insider buying: CFO Sam Eldessouky and EVP A. Robert D. Bailey purchased shares in March (4,000 and 14,600 shares respectively), part of 33,300 insider shares bought last quarter, and company insiders now own 1.45% of the stock.
• Recent results: The company reported $0.32 EPS (missed by $0.03) while revenue beat at $1.41B (+9.8% YoY); Bausch + Lomb has a $5.65B market cap and reported a negative net margin of 7.06%.

Shares of Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE:BLCO - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Hold" from the fourteen research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $18.25.

BLCO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Bausch + Lomb from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $18.00 price objective on shares of Bausch + Lomb in a report on Thursday, February 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $19.00 price objective on shares of Bausch + Lomb in a report on Friday, January 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Bausch + Lomb from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Bausch + Lomb from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th.

Insider Transactions at Bausch + Lomb

In related news, CFO Sam Eldessouky acquired 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $17.13 per share, for a total transaction of $68,520.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 403,130 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,905,616.90. This represents a 1.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP A Robert D. Bailey purchased 14,600 shares of Bausch + Lomb stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $17.15 per share, for a total transaction of $250,390.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 231,890 shares in the company, valued at $3,976,913.50. This trade represents a 6.72% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have purchased 33,300 shares of company stock worth $570,868. Company insiders own 1.45% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in Bausch + Lomb by 729.3% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,322 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 2,042 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in Bausch + Lomb by 104.1% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 2,227 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,136 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in Bausch + Lomb by 31.2% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 5,903 shares of the company's stock valued at $101,000 after purchasing an additional 1,403 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in Bausch + Lomb by 55.3% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 9,112 shares of the company's stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 3,246 shares during the period. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth purchased a new position in Bausch + Lomb during the 3rd quarter valued at about $170,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.07% of the company's stock.

Bausch + Lomb Stock Up 0.4%

BLCO opened at $15.84 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $5.65 billion, a P/E ratio of -15.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.65. The business's 50-day moving average price is $16.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $16.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Bausch + Lomb has a 12 month low of $10.45 and a 12 month high of $18.92.

Bausch + Lomb (NYSE:BLCO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.38 billion. Bausch + Lomb had a positive return on equity of 2.77% and a negative net margin of 7.06%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.25 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Bausch + Lomb will post 0.78 EPS for the current year.

About Bausch + Lomb

Bausch + Lomb Corporation operates as an eye health company in the United States, Puerto Rico, China, France, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Poland, South Korea, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Vision Care, Pharmaceuticals, and Surgical. The Vision Care segment provides contact lens that covers the spectrum of wearing modalities, including daily disposable and frequently replaced contact lenses; and contact lens care products comprising over-the-counter eye drops, eye vitamins, and mineral supplements that address various conditions, such as eye allergies, conjunctivitis, dry eye, and redness relief.

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