Bausch + Lomb (NYSE:BLCO) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Bausch + Lomb (NYSE:BLCO) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on BLCO. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Bausch + Lomb from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $19.00 target price (up from $18.00) on shares of Bausch + Lomb in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Bausch + Lomb from $13.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Citigroup upped their price target on Bausch + Lomb from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Bausch + Lomb in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.00.

Bausch + Lomb Stock Performance

BLCO opened at $17.95 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $17.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $15.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The company has a market capitalization of $6.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -17.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.61. Bausch + Lomb has a 1-year low of $10.45 and a 1-year high of $18.12.

Bausch + Lomb (NYSE:BLCO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.25 EPS. Research analysts predict that Bausch + Lomb will post 0.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position 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 worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 2,042 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Bausch + Lomb by 104.1% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 2,227 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,136 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its position in shares of Bausch + Lomb by 31.2% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 5,903 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 1,403 shares during the last quarter. Gruss & Co. LLC bought a new stake in Bausch + Lomb during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $130,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in Bausch + Lomb by 55.3% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 9,112 shares of the company’s stock valued at $132,000 after buying an additional 3,246 shares during the last quarter. 11.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Bausch + Lomb News

Here are the key news stories impacting Bausch + Lomb this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue beat and operating leverage: Revenue of about $1.41B topped estimates and management highlighted strong revenue momentum and adjusted EBITDA expansion, supporting a constructive view on margin recovery and growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Zacks moved BLCO to a Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting growing optimism on earnings prospects which can provide upside momentum. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish research note: A Seeking Alpha review highlights 7% constant-currency Q4 revenue growth, 27% adjusted EBITDA growth, a product pipeline (contact lenses, dry-eye, premium IOLs) and management’s 5–7% annual revenue target through 2028 — supporting a multi-year growth story. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Price-target lift: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $18 (equal weight), a modest endorsement that reduces near-term downside risk. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call/transcripts published — read for detail: Full Q4 earnings call transcripts are available (MSN / InsiderMonkey) for investors wanting management commentary on margins, guidance and product timing. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategy/PR items: Management is promoting innovation (CEO highlights upcoming contact-lens innovations and has tied pay to AI literacy), which may support long-term positioning but is uncertain near-term catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss: Reported EPS of $0.32 missed consensus (~$0.35), which drove immediate volatility and raised short-term profitability concerns despite the revenue beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst divergence and downside views: Bank of America reiterated a Sell citing structural/margin headwinds (PT $15); Stifel maintains Hold — mixed-to-negative analyst posture could cap upside. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction was mixed: some outlets reported an intra-session gap down tied to the earnings miss even as other coverage noted shares later edged higher — signalling investor uncertainty and possible continued volatility. Article Title

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.