Is The Cooper Companies Stock Underperforming the Nasdaq?

With a market cap of $15.8 billion, The Cooper Companies, Inc. (COO) is a global medical device company specializing in contact lenses and women’s health care solutions. Through its CooperVision and CooperSurgical segments, it offers advanced vision-correction lenses as well as fertility, genomics, and contraceptive products.

Companies valued at $10 billion or more are generally considered "large-cap" stocks, and Cooper Companies fits this criterion perfectly. The company serves healthcare professionals and distributors worldwide.

Shares of the San Ramon, California-based company have declined 19.6% from its 52-week high of $100.47. COO stock has soared 19.3% over the past three months, outperforming the Nasdaq Composite’s ($NASX) 8.1% increase over the same time frame. 

In the longer term, COO stock is down 12.2% on a YTD basis, lagging behind NASX’s 22.5% surge. Moreover, shares of the surgical and contact lens products maker have decreased 18.5% over the past 52 weeks, compared to NASX’s 20.2% return over the same time frame.

The stock has been trading above its 50-day moving average since October. 

COO shares climbed 5.7% following its Q4 2025 results on Dec. 4. The company delivered adjusted EPS of $1.15 and revenue of $1.07 billion, both above consensus. Investors also reacted positively to management’s outlook, including fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $4.45 - $4.60 and projected free cash flow of $575 million - $625 million, along with a long-term goal of generating over $2.2 billion in free cash flow from 2026 - 2028.

However, rival Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG) has outpaced COO stock. Shares of Intuitive Surgical have risen 6.5% on a YTD basis and 3.3% over the past 52 weeks. 

Despite the stock’s underperformance, analysts remain moderately optimistic on Cooper. The stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from 17 analysts in coverage, and the mean price target of $89.62 is a premium of nearly 11% to current levels.