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STAA · Analysis updated Nov 10, 2026, 6:00 PM ET
Why is Staar Surgical Co (STAA) stock moving?
STAAR beat Q3 2026 estimates on Nov 4, with sales of $83.4M against $78.8M expected and EPS of $0.11 against $0.05. Reported net sales fell 12% year over year, but rose 21% excluding a deferred China sales impact, with China down 30% and EMEA up 31%. Management also announced a $50M buyback, reported $206.4M in cash and investments, completed moving China ICL manufacturing to Switzerland to reduce tariff exposure, and started first-in-human trials for presbyopia technologies. The stock spiked to a 29.57 intraday high on Nov 5 but closed at 26.72, then slid to 23.87 on Nov 10, below the pre-earnings close of 25.17 on Nov 3. Volume rose to 1.81M on Nov 10, the highest in the 30-day window, which points to heavy selling despite the beat and buyback. A price target raise to $29.25 is an analyst view, not a price floor. The near-term picture is weak, while the fundamental and buyback story is still constructive.
News behind the analysis
- STAAR Surgical Company Stock 12-Month Price Target Raised to $29.25The average 12-month price target was raised to $29.25, implying about 8% upside from the Nov 4 close. A separate TradingView headline on the same update cites $28.62 and 5% upside, so the figures differ across sources.
- Staar Surgical Q3 2026 Earnings Call TranscriptManagement discussed Q3 2026 results and the company's growth, profitability and innovation priorities on the earnings call.
- STAAR Surgical Company Reports Q3 2026 EarningsSTAAR reported Q3 2026 EPS of $0.11, and the company's release shows net sales of $83.4M, down 12% year over year but up 21% excluding a deferred China sales impact.
- STAAR Surgical Announces $50M Buyback PlanThe board authorized a $50 million share repurchase program, which management says reflects confidence and a view that the shares are undervalued.
- Staar Surgical Q3 EPS $0.11 Beats $0.05 Estimate, Sales $83.411M Beat $78.762M EstimateQ3 EPS of $0.11 beat the $0.05 estimate and sales of $83.4M beat the $78.8M estimate.
About Staar Surgical Co
STAAR Surgical is a Lake Forest, California maker of implantable lenses that correct vision. It calls itself the global leader in phakic IOLs, which are lenses placed inside the eye in front of the natural lens through its EVO ICL family. They are built from its own Collamer material and offered as an alternative to laser surgery such as LASIK.
How it makes money
Almost all of STAAR's revenue comes from selling EVO and EVO+ Implantable Collamer Lenses to eye surgeons and distributors. This includes higher-priced toric lenses for astigmatism. China is its biggest market, at roughly half of sales: in Q3 2026, about $44 million of its roughly $83 million in net sales came from outside China. The rest comes mostly from Europe/Middle East/Africa, the Americas and other Asia-Pacific markets. The company now makes all lenses shipped to China at its Swiss plant so they avoid tariffs.
What usually moves STAA
- Demand and distributor stocking in China
- Growth in lens-based vs laser refractive surgery
- Tariffs and manufacturing capacity/gross margins
- US and EMEA adoption of EVO ICL
- Leadership changes and lack of formal guidance