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LAKE FOREST, Calif. - STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ:STAA) shares tumbled 32.9% after the vision correction device maker reported fourth-quarter results that fell far short of analyst expectations and provided a disappointing outlook for fiscal 2025.
The company posted a fourth-quarter loss of $0.69 per share, significantly wider than the $0.03 loss per share analysts had forecast. Revenue plunged to $49 million, missing estimates of $77.2 million by a wide margin. The company also withdrew its previously announced Vision 2026 Target (NYSE:TGT) Sales and Operating Model, citing the challenging outlook.
STAAR Surgical attributed the weak performance to deteriorating demand in China, its largest market. ICL (TASE:ICL) sales in China dropped to just $7.5 million in Q4, dragging down overall ICL sales to $46.9 million compared to $74.6 million a year ago.
"China is the largest market in the world for refractive procedures, and macroeconomic conditions and consumer confidence in China remain weak," said Tom Frinzi, Chair of the Board and CEO of STAAR Surgical. "While the government stimulus announced in September looked promising, the demand for our cash-pay ICLs deteriorated dramatically as we exited the year."
For fiscal 2025, the company expects China ICL sales of less than $5 million in the first half as it works through elevated inventory levels. It projects China sales of $75 million to $125 million in the second half, depending on a potential rebound in refractive procedure volumes.
STAAR Surgical now anticipates an adjusted EBITDA loss of $50 million to $15 million for fiscal 2025.
Despite the setback in China, STAAR Surgical reported 17% YoY growth in ICL sales excluding China for Q4 and expects to sustain double-digit growth across other global markets in 2025.
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