Analysts Set Bausch + Lomb Co. (NYSE:BLCO) Target Price at $20.91

Shares of Bausch + Lomb Co. (NYSE:BLCO) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $20.91.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Bausch + Lomb in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Bausch + Lomb from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. HC Wainwright increased their price objective on shares of Bausch + Lomb from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Bausch + Lomb from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Bausch + Lomb from $16.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bausch + Lomb

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BLCO. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Bausch + Lomb by 14,052.2% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,255 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 3,232 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bausch + Lomb in the second quarter worth about $173,000. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Bausch + Lomb during the 3rd quarter valued at about $289,000. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Bausch + Lomb during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $289,000. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in Bausch + Lomb in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $302,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.07% of the company’s stock.

Bausch + Lomb Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of BLCO opened at $19.76 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $6.96 billion, a PE ratio of -18.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.46. Bausch + Lomb has a 52-week low of $13.16 and a 52-week high of $21.69.

Bausch + Lomb (NYSE:BLCO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.01. Bausch + Lomb had a positive return on equity of 3.17% and a negative net margin of 7.86%. The firm had revenue of $1.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.22 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Bausch + Lomb will post 0.59 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.