Irvine, California-based Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (EW) provides products and technologies to treat advanced cardiovascular diseases. It is valued at a market cap of $45.9 billion.
This healthcare company has considerably underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. Shares of EW have gained 7.8% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has soared 26.6%. Moreover, on a YTD basis, the stock is down 4.5%, compared to SPX’s 8.1% rise.
Looking closer, EW has also lagged the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund's (XLV) 11.3% return over the past 52 weeks. However, it has outpaced XLV’s 5.2% YTD drop.
On Apr 23, EW delivered its Q1 results, and its shares soared 5.6% in the following trading session. The company’s total sales grew 16.7% year-over-year to $1.65 billion, while its adjusted EPS of $0.78 increased 21.9% from the year-ago quarter. Additionally, EW raised its fiscal 2026 outlook, now expecting constant-currency sales growth to be between 9% and 11%, with adjusted EPS in the range of $2.95 to $3.05.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect EW’s EPS to grow 17.2% year over year to $3. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It topped the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters, while missing on another occasion.
Among the 29 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy,” which is based on 19 “Strong Buy,” two "Moderate Buy,” and eight "Hold” ratings.
The configuration is slightly more bullish than two months ago, with 18 analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy” rating.
On May 5, Evercore Inc. (EVR) analyst Vijay Kumar maintained a “Buy” rating on EW and set a price target of $93, indicating a 14.3% potential upside from the current levels.
The mean price target of $97.46 suggests a 19.7% premium to its current price levels, while its Street-high price target of $110 implies a 35.2% potential upside.
On the date of publication, Neharika Jain did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.