Wall Street Zen Downgrades Bausch Health Cos (NYSE:BHC) to Buy

Key Points

• Bausch Health Cos has been downgraded from a "strong-buy" to a "buy" rating by Wall Street Zen, reflecting a shift in analyst sentiment.
• Despite missing earnings estimates, Bausch Health reported revenues of $2.57 billion for the quarter, exceeding consensus predictions.
• Director John Paulson significantly increased his stake in Bausch Health, acquiring over 34 million shares, reinforcing insider confidence in the company's prospects.

Bausch Health Cos (NYSE:BHC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Bausch Health Cos in a report on Wednesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Bausch Health Cos has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $9.00.

Bausch Health Cos Stock Performance

Shares of BHC opened at $6.09 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $6.92 and a 200-day moving average of $6.03. Bausch Health Cos has a one year low of $4.25 and a one year high of $9.85. The company has a market cap of $2.26 billion, a PE ratio of 23.42 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 141.90, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

Bausch Health Cos (NYSE:BHC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.97 by ($0.07). Bausch Health Cos had a net margin of 0.99% and a negative return on equity of 852.36%. The firm had revenue of $2.57 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.47 billion. Bausch Health Cos has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Bausch Health Cos will post 4.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Bausch Health Cos

In other Bausch Health Cos news, Director John Paulson acquired 34,721,118 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $9.00 per share, with a total value of $312,490,062.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 70,755,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $636,802,821. This trade represents a 96.35% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Over the last ninety days, insiders have bought 37,964,167 shares of company stock valued at $333,757,793. Insiders own 19.97% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Bausch Health Cos

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Bausch Health Cos in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC bought a new stake in Bausch Health Cos in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Bausch Health Cos by 244.2% in the 1st quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 4,230 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 3,001 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Bausch Health Cos by 65.9% in the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 7,819 shares of the company's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 3,106 shares during the period. Finally, Wealthquest Corp bought a new stake in Bausch Health Cos in the 1st quarter valued at about $58,000. Institutional investors own 78.65% of the company's stock.

Bausch Health Cos Company Profile

Bausch Health Companies Inc operates as a diversified specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company in the United States and internationally. It develops, manufactures, and markets a range of products primarily in gastroenterology, hepatology, neurology, dermatology, international pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter (OTC) products, aesthetic medical devices, and eye health.

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