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Tuesday, STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ:STAA), currently trading at $17.61 and down over 54% in the past year, maintained its Neutral rating by BTIG, as the company announced several executive leadership changes. According to InvestingPro data, the company maintains strong liquidity with a current ratio of 5.23, though it faces profitability challenges. The reshuffle follows the appointment of Stephen Farrell as CEO in late February. STAAR Surgical welcomed Warren Foust as President and Chief Operating Officer, Magda Michna as Chief Development Officer, and the return of Deborah Andrews as Interim Chief Financial Officer. Concurrently, Patrick Williams resigned as CFO and Keith Holliday announced his retirement as Chief Technology Officer.
The management changes are part of STAAR Surgical’s efforts to improve its profit and loss statement under new leadership. These changes come at a crucial time, as InvestingPro analysis shows eight analysts have revised their earnings downwards for the upcoming period. BTIG analysts had a discussion with management to gain insight into potential areas for cost savings. Management highlighted opportunities for reducing expenses, including optimizing booth sizes at trade shows, improving travel spend, and other readily achievable efficiencies.
Despite these cost-cutting measures, management emphasized that revenue growth would not be compromised. They indicated that more detailed estimates of potential savings might be available by the first-quarter 2025 earnings call. However, it was noted that fiscal year 2025 guidance was not reaffirmed in the announcement of these executive changes.
The company’s fourth-quarter 2024 results fell short of expectations, with revenue declining 2.64% in the last twelve months, and STAAR Surgical’s recent announcement did not include a reiteration of its FY25 guidance. This has led to some uncertainty about how investors might react to the recent leadership changes and the absence of reiterated guidance. BTIG suggests there may be investor hesitation to engage with STAAR Surgical’s shares amid these developments. For deeper insights into STAAR Surgical’s financial health and detailed analysis, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report available on InvestingPro, which includes additional key metrics and expert analysis.
In other recent news, STAAR Surgical has reported its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings, which showed significant misses on both earnings per share and revenue compared to forecasts. The company posted an EPS of -$0.69, far below the expected -$0.03, and revenue came in at $48.95 million against an anticipated $77.2 million. The company also reported a net loss of $20.2 million for the fiscal year 2024, a stark contrast to the net income of $21.3 million in the previous year. STAAR Surgical maintains a strong cash position, ending the year with $230.5 million, and continues to focus on its EVO ICL (TASE:ICL) technology with an upcoming launch of EVO Plus in China.
Analyst firms have reacted to these developments with adjustments to their ratings and price targets. Canaccord Genuity reduced its price target for STAAR Surgical to $17 from $28, maintaining a Hold rating, citing the company’s valuation and potential risks in the Chinese market. Jefferies downgraded the stock, cutting its price target to $18 from $60, reflecting concerns about the company’s reliance on the Chinese market for a recovery. Stifel also adjusted its price target to $20 from $38, maintaining a Buy rating, while expressing concerns over inventory levels in China.
The company’s performance has been impacted by a challenging macroeconomic environment in China, with new issues related to increased inventory levels with distributors in the region. STAAR Surgical’s revenue outside of China is projected at $164 million for 2025, trading at 2.7 times EV/Sales, which is still below its peer group. The company anticipates ICL sales outside China to grow by 9-15% in FY2025, while China ICL sales are expected to range between $75-$125 million, with a recovery anticipated in the latter half of 2025.
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