Cooper Companies is a leading medical device company specializing in contact lenses and ophthalmic surgical products.
As a key innovator in vision care, its competitive edge stems from a strong portfolio of brands like CooperVision and a focus on advanced technology for eye health professionals.
Updated: January 14, 2026, 16:00 EST
Based on a comprehensive review of COO's technical, fundamental, and valuation metrics, the evidence points toward a cautious approach. While the stock shows relative technical strength and a stable balance sheet, significant concerns outweigh these positives.
The core issue is a clear disconnect between the stock price and its underlying business performance. Valuation multiples are exceptionally high (P/E of 70, EV/EBITDA of 77) at a time when profitability is contracting and operational efficiency is weak. The negative PEG ratio confirms that the market is pricing in substantial growth that the company's fundamentals do not currently support.
Recommendation: HOLD / NOT A BUY
For current investors, the company's financial health may warrant holding, but the risk/reward profile is unfavorable for new investment. The high valuation combined with declining margins and poor returns on capital suggests the stock is vulnerable to a correction if earnings do not improve significantly. Investors should wait for clearer signs of a turnaround in profitability before considering a position.
*This is not investment advice, for reference only.*
Of course. Here is a 12-month outlook for COO based on the provided analysis.
12-Month Outlook for COO
The outlook for COO over the next year is cautious. Key catalysts would be a significant improvement in operational efficiency and a return to robust earnings growth that could justify its lofty valuation multiples. However, the primary risks are substantial, centered on the high probability of a price correction if the company fails to meet the market's aggressive growth expectations, especially with current trends of contracting profitability. Given the significant premium the stock carries and the absence of a clear near-term catalyst for a re-rating, the price is likely to face downward pressure, with a potential decline toward a range that better reflects its fundamentals, perhaps testing levels significantly below the current $81.7.
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Disclaimer: This analysis is based on the provided summary and is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about COO's 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $81.69, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, COO has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
Overall Assessment: COO has demonstrated strong medium-term performance with significant 17.13% gains over three months, though it has retreated slightly in the near-term with a 0.5% monthly decline. The stock has notably outperformed the broader market by 13.76% during this period, indicating relative strength despite recent softness.
Short-term Performance: While the stock has pulled back 0.5% over the past month, its robust 17.13% three-month advance shows solid momentum. The substantial 13.76% outperformance versus the market benchmark suggests COO possesses stronger underlying fundamentals or investor sentiment than the broader market average.
Current Position: At $81.70, COO trades approximately 64% above its 52-week low but remains 18% below its yearly high, positioning it in the upper-middle range of its annual spectrum. The stock appears reasonably valued given its recent performance trajectory, neither indicating extreme overbought nor oversold conditions at current levels.
| Period | COO Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | -0.5% | +1.3% |
| 3m | +19.5% | +5.7% |
| 6m | +9.0% | +10.6% |
| 1y | -9.9% | +16.5% |
| ytd | +0.7% | +1.1% |
Revenue & Profitability COO maintained stable quarterly revenue of approximately $1.06 billion in Q4 2025, consistent with the prior quarter. However, profitability weakened as net profit margin declined from 9.3% to 7.9%, driven by a contraction in gross margin from 65.3% to 56.4%, indicating rising cost pressures or pricing challenges.
Financial Health The company maintains a conservative debt profile with a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34 and solid interest coverage of 5.8x. While liquidity appears adequate with a current ratio of 1.89, the absence of reported operating and free cash flow metrics limits deeper assessment of cash flow sustainability.
Operational Efficiency Operational performance is subdued, with weak returns on equity (1.0%) and assets (0.7%) reflecting inefficient capital utilization. Low asset turnover (0.09) and inventory turnover (0.55) further signal challenges in effectively managing assets and working capital to drive profitability.
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Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardOf course. Here is the valuation analysis for COO.
COO appears significantly overvalued based on its current metrics. The trailing P/E of 70.18 and forward P/E of 40.93 are exceptionally high, indicating investors are paying a steep premium for its earnings. This overvaluation is further confirmed by a negative PEG ratio of -3.34, which signals that earnings growth expectations are negative, making the high P/E unjustifiable. The elevated EV/EBITDA of 76.78 suggests the company's operational cash flow generation is also weak relative to its total enterprise value, reinforcing concerns about its current price level.
A direct peer comparison is not possible without the specific industry average data. However, the analysis of absolute values remains highly concerning. A P/S ratio of 4.25 implies a rich valuation on sales, and when combined with the negative earnings growth trajectory (PEG), it paints a picture of a stock whose price is disconnected from its fundamental growth prospects. The high multiples across the board, without the support of positive growth, point to a substantial valuation risk.
Volatility Risk: With a Beta of 1.029, COO's price movements are expected to be almost precisely in line with the broader market, indicating average systematic risk. However, the stock has demonstrated significant downside volatility, evidenced by a substantial one-year maximum drawdown of -35.32%, suggesting investors have been exposed to considerable price erosion during recent market downturns.
Other Risks: A notable positive is the apparent absence of significant short interest, which reduces the risk of a short squeeze and indicates a lack of pervasive negative sentiment from sophisticated investors. The primary concern thus shifts to general market liquidity and company-specific operational or sector-related risks, which are the main drivers of price movement in the absence of speculative short-side pressure.
Neutral to cautious. While COO has strong product momentum and recent price strength, it appears significantly overvalued with a high P/E and negative earnings growth (PEG). Furthermore, operational efficiency is weak, with low returns on equity and assets. This stock may suit only investors with high risk tolerance who believe in the long-term success of its premium product launches, as current valuation presents substantial risk.
Based on the provided data, COO stock appears significantly overvalued.
The stock trades at elevated multiples with a trailing PE of 70 and a forward PE of 41, which are extremely high by any market standard and difficult to justify. The most critical red flag is the negative PEG ratio of -3.34, signaling that earnings growth expectations are negative. This overvaluation is compounded by weak fundamentals, including declining profit margins, low operational efficiency (ROE of 1.0%), and an exceptionally high EV/EBITDA of 76.78, indicating poor cash flow generation relative to its valuation.
Based on the provided information, here are the key risks of holding COO:
1. Profitability Risk: The company faces deteriorating profitability due to a significant contraction in gross margin, indicating rising cost pressures or an inability to maintain pricing power. 2. Operational Efficiency Risk: Extremely low returns on equity and assets, coupled with poor inventory and asset turnover, signal fundamental challenges in utilizing capital and managing operations effectively. 3. Volatility Risk: Despite having average market-correlated volatility (Beta), the stock has experienced a severe maximum drawdown, indicating a high susceptibility to significant price declines during market downturns.
Based on the fundamental challenges highlighted, my forecast for COO stock through 2026 is cautious, with a base case target price range of $50-$65 and a bull case of $85+. The key growth drivers necessary for a bull case would be a decisive reversal of the profit margin contraction and a significant improvement in asset utilization to drive returns. The main assumptions are that operational inefficiencies and cost pressures persist, making a re-rating difficult without clear evidence of a turnaround. This forecast is highly uncertain, as the stock's performance is entirely dependent on management's ability to execute a operational recovery that is not yet visible in the financials.