STAAR Surgical (STAA) shares were up 5% in New York. The China rebound is being watched after the company ended its deal with Alcon.
- STAAR climbed about 5.5% to $29.81 late on Nasdaq, topping gains in the medical-device ETF and other eye-care stocks.
- No new company release hit in the last 24 hours, while investors are still digesting May’s first-quarter rebound.
- China is still the swing factor for STAAR. The country powered the sales recovery but has made STAAR more tied to a single region.
STAAR Surgical shares jumped over 5% Thursday. The stock extended its volatile rebound as investors focused again on signs of a strong Q1 recovery in China for the implantable eye lens maker.
The stock last traded up 5.5% at $29.81 after closing at $28.26. Market cap sat near $1.52 billion. The iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF added about 2.5%. Alcon, Bausch + Lomb and CooperCompanies were all up in the 3% to 4% range.
STAAR’s position is in focus as it works to show it can operate on its own. Earlier this year, its shareholders shot down a takeover bid from Alcon, the Swiss eye-care company. Alcon had bumped its offer up to $30.75 per share before STAAR called off the deal in January, citing a lack of shareholder support.
STAAR had no fresh company news on its investor site Thursday. The latest release there is from May 21, where management said it would join investor events with Stifel and Canaccord. That would get the shares in front of healthcare investors again after its earnings report.
STAAR makes Implantable Collamer Lenses, or ICLs — lenses implanted inside the eye without taking out the natural lens. First-quarter net sales jumped to $93.5 million, up 119.6% from the same period last year. Net income was $5.2 million, or 10 cents a share, swinging from a loss of $54.2 million a year ago.
STAAR is starting 2026 strong, interim co-CEOs Warren Foust and Deborah Andrews wrote in a shareholder letter. They pointed to higher revenue growth, better profit, and said EVO+ ICL demand in China was above forecasts. The letter also said distributor inventories are now back in the target range.
China drove much of the shift, a regulatory filing showed. China sales reached $47.4 million in the quarter. At April 3, distributors in China made up 51% of net sales and 57% of trade receivables.
STAAR posted a gross margin of 73.6%, up from 65.8% last year. The company said the boost was due to lower ramp-up costs in Switzerland, reduced advanced manufacturing costs, and smaller inventory provisions.
On the May earnings call, Andrews described the second quarter as looking “as I would expect in a normal Q2.” Foust said, “Q1 strength is real.” But the company again did not provide full-year guidance. Staar Surgical
STAAR got a lift Thursday, beating Alcon, Bausch + Lomb and CooperCompanies. Alcon is still the name investors look to after the deal didn’t go through. The others—Bausch + Lomb and CooperCompanies—help show where interest stands for eye-care and devices. The group is tight but matters for how the story plays out.
But one strong quarter doesn’t mean the trend will hold. Foust said “the whole world is under pressure relative to pricing,” and the filing from STAAR showed sales in Europe, Middle East and Africa down 3% for the quarter, while most of the rebound came from China. If demand in China drops off after the usual peak season, or if STAAR has to cut prices to keep up volume, margins could come under pressure fast. Staar Surgical
So investors are left with a simpler picture, but questions remain. The stock is holding close to Alcon’s last offer, the company is making money again, and the market is still waiting to see if China’s recovery holds up past this quarter.
