Bausch + Lomb (NYSE:BLCO) Shares Gap Down Following Weak Earnings

Shares of Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE:BLCO) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $17.73, but opened at $16.76. Bausch + Lomb shares last traded at $17.2710, with a volume of 263,497 shares traded.

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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.38 billion. Bausch + Lomb had a negative net margin of 7.06% and a positive return on equity of 2.78%. The business’s revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.25 earnings per share.

More Bausch + Lomb News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullish take — Seeking Alpha keeps a Buy stance, highlighting 7% constant-currency Q4 revenue growth and 27% adjusted-EBITDA growth, and reiterates a multi-year 5–7% revenue growth target driven by contact-lens, dry-eye and premium IOL innovation. This underscores improving operating leverage and a constructive growth story. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded BLCO to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), signaling growing optimism around earnings prospects — a near-term catalyst that can attract buy-side interest. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Company messaging and coverage highlight product innovation — CEO commentary teases the biggest contact-lens innovation since 1999 and the firm is tying executive incentives to AI literacy, signaling strategic focus on innovation and tech-enabled operations that could support longer-term margin expansion. Contact Lens Innovation Video CEO Pay & AI Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 financials were mixed: revenue of $1.41B beat estimates (up ~9.8% YoY), but EPS of $0.32 missed consensus $0.35; adjusted EBITDA showed solid growth. Revenue strength is supportive, but the EPS miss keeps sentiment cautious. Earnings Release
• Neutral Sentiment: FY-2026 revenue guidance was updated to roughly $5.4B–$5.5B (around consensus), which reduces downside surprise risk but doesn’t materially re-accelerate the story; investors will look to margin and EPS trajectory for conviction. Guidance / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings/call transcripts are available for details on margin drivers, product cadence and geographic trends — useful for investors who want the granular color behind the top-line beat and EPS miss. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Some sell-side skepticism remains — Bank of America reiterated a Sell with a $15 PT, flagging structural overhangs and margin shortfalls that could limit upside until profitability trends clearly improve. That keeps supply-side pressure and can weigh on momentum. BOA Sell Note
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss vs. consensus ($0.32 vs $0.35) is an immediate negative catalyst that prompted mixed media coverage and likely explains intraday selling pressure despite the revenue beat. EPS Miss Coverage

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Bausch + Lomb from $13.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Barclays lifted their target price on Bausch + Lomb from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of Bausch + Lomb in a report on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Bausch + Lomb in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $19.00 price objective (up from $18.00) on shares of Bausch + Lomb in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bausch + Lomb

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in shares of Bausch + Lomb by 729.3% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,322 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 2,042 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in Bausch + Lomb by 104.1% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 2,227 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 1,136 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC lifted 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 valued at $80,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake in Bausch + Lomb by 31.2% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 5,903 shares of the company’s stock valued at $101,000 after buying an additional 1,403 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gruss & Co. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bausch + Lomb in the second quarter valued at approximately $130,000. 11.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Bausch + Lomb Trading Down 0.1%

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $17.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.26 billion, a PE ratio of -17.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.51 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

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.