Analyst Ratings February 24, 2026

H.C. Wainwright Lifts Bausch + Lomb Price Target to $20 After Q4 Beat; Keeps Buy Rating

Firm cites across-the-board segment growth, stronger-than-expected Q4 revenue and earnings beats; management outlines 2026 revenue and EBITDA targets

By Hana Yamamoto BLCO
H.C. Wainwright Lifts Bausch + Lomb Price Target to $20 After Q4 Beat; Keeps Buy Rating
BLCO

H.C. Wainwright raised its price target on Bausch + Lomb (BLCO) to $20 from $17 while reaffirming a Buy rating. The firm pointed to a fourth-quarter revenue beat and company guidance implying 5% to 7% constant currency top-line growth for 2026. Bausch + Lomb posted revenue growth across Vision Care, Surgical and Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter and provided 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA ranges.

Key Points

  • H.C. Wainwright raised Bausch + Lomb’s price target to $20 from $17 and kept a Buy rating, citing a fourth-quarter revenue beat and 2026 growth outlook.
  • Q4 2025 revenue was $1.405 billion (up 9.8% year-over-year); adjusted net income was $115 million, or $0.32 per share, above the firm’s $0.31 estimate.
  • Management expects 2026 revenue of $5.375 billion to $5.475 billion (5% to 7% constant currency growth) and adjusted EBITDA of $1.0 billion to $1.05 billion.

H.C. Wainwright increased its 12-month price target for Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE: BLCO) to $20 from $17 and maintained a Buy recommendation, citing a quarterly performance that outpaced the firm’s estimates and management guidance that implies mid-single-digit top-line growth for fiscal 2026.

The company reported fourth-quarter 2025 revenue of $1.405 billion, up 9.8% year-over-year and above H.C. Wainwright’s forecast of $1.390 billion. Adjusted net income for the quarter was $115 million, or $0.32 per share, compared with the firm’s estimate of $0.31 per share.

Revenue expanded across each of Bausch + Lomb’s three reporting segments in the fourth quarter. Vision Care produced $778 million in revenue, an 8% increase year-over-year. Surgical revenue climbed to $249 million, also an 8% year-over-year rise. Pharmaceuticals led the group with $378 million, a 16% increase versus the prior year.

On a full-year basis, total 2025 revenue reached $5.101 billion, a 6.5% increase from 2024. Adjusted net income for the year was $152 million, or $0.43 per share, narrowly topping the firm’s projection of $0.42 per share. The company recorded a net loss of $360 million, or $1.02 per share, for the full year.

Management provided guidance for 2026 that targets total revenue between $5.375 billion and $5.475 billion, which the company says corresponds to 5% to 7% constant currency growth. The guidance also includes an adjusted EBITDA range of $1.0 billion to $1.05 billion.


Other broker commentary and company disclosures released alongside the quarter add nuance to the quarter’s results. Bausch + Lomb reported fourth-quarter revenue growth of 6.9% in constant currency, a touch below the Street’s 7.4% expectation. The Contact Lenses segment delivered 8% growth in constant currency, beating the Street’s 7% projection.

Product-level detail showed Miebo generating $112 million in sales for the period, exceeding Stifel’s estimate of $80 million. Despite the top-line beats, the company’s quarterly earnings missed analyst projections in aggregate.

On the broker front, Stifel adjusted its view modestly, raising its price target on Bausch + Lomb shares from $15 to $16 while keeping a Hold rating.

The combination of a broker that raised its price target and a second broker that adjusted its target while keeping a more cautious rating underscores differing assessments of near-term earnings execution relative to durable revenue momentum across the company’s franchises.

Investors focused on sector-level implications will note the company’s balanced revenue performance across Vision Care, Surgical and Pharmaceuticals, and management’s revenue and EBITDA ranges for 2026 that imply continued mid-single-digit growth. These items will be central to ongoing assessments of the company’s pricing and distribution traction, margin recovery and earnings conversion.

For investors seeking additional structured research, Bausch + Lomb is listed among more than 1,400 U.S. stocks covered in comprehensive Pro Research Reports that offer further analysis.

Risks

  • Earnings shortfall risk - Despite revenue beats, the company’s quarterly earnings missed analyst expectations, creating execution risk in profit conversion; this impacts equity investors and earnings-sensitive sectors.
  • Top-line variability - Constant currency revenue growth in the quarter (6.9%) was slightly below the Street’s estimate (7.4%), indicating potential sensitivity to market conditions and demand in vision and pharmaceutical end markets; this affects healthcare and medical-device investors.
  • Analyst divergence - Different broker assessments, exemplified by Stifel raising its target to $16 while maintaining a Hold, signal uncertainty in consensus views that may affect investor sentiment and stock liquidity.

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