Bausch + Lomb (NYSE:BLCO) Stock Price Up 5.1% - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Bausch + Lomb shares experienced a 5.1% increase in price, reaching $14.80 during mid-day trading, with a significant decline in trading volume compared to the average.
• Equities analysts have mostly rated Bausch + Lomb as a "Hold," with price targets ranging from $13.00 to $16.00, reflecting mixed sentiment towards the stock's performance.
• CEO Brent L. Saunders acquired 22,000 shares of company stock in May, increasing his ownership, which highlights insider confidence in the firm's prospects.

Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE:BLCO - Get Free Report) was up 5.1% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $14.86 and last traded at $14.80. Approximately 161,031 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 791,824 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.08.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on BLCO shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Bausch + Lomb from $12.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Zacks Research upgraded Bausch + Lomb to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of Bausch + Lomb in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. HC Wainwright upped their target price on Bausch + Lomb from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on Bausch + Lomb from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Bausch + Lomb currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $15.56.

Bausch + Lomb Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The firm's 50 day moving average is $13.48 and its 200 day moving average is $13.62. The firm has a market cap of $5.15 billion, a P/E ratio of -18.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.62.

Bausch + Lomb (NYSE:BLCO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.01. Bausch + Lomb had a negative net margin of 5.58% and a positive return on equity of 2.33%. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.25 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.13 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Bausch + Lomb has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Bausch + Lomb Corporation will post 0.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Bausch + Lomb

In other Bausch + Lomb news, CEO Brent L. Saunders acquired 22,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $11.28 per share, with a total value of $248,160.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 719,156 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,112,079.68. This represents a 3.16% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.15% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bausch + Lomb

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BLCO. Ridgewood Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bausch + Lomb in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in Bausch + Lomb by 729.3% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,322 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 2,042 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Bausch + Lomb by 58.5% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,502 shares of the company's stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 1,662 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC raised its stake in Bausch + Lomb by 93.8% in the second quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 6,200 shares of the company's stock worth $80,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in Bausch + Lomb by 101.7% during the first quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 6,719 shares of the company's stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 3,387 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 11.07% of the company's stock.

Bausch + Lomb Company Profile

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.