Cooper Companies to Post Q1 Earnings: Is a Beat in the Offing?

The Cooper Companies, Inc.’s COO first-quarter fiscal 2026 results are scheduled to be released on March 05, after the closing bell.

In the last reported quarter, the company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.60%. Its earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and met once, delivering an average surprise of 2.41%.

Q1 Estimates

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $1.03 billion, indicating a 6.3% increase from the year-ago quarter’s level. The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $1.03 per share, implying a 12%improvement.

Factors to Note

The Cooper Companies’ first-quarter fiscal 2026 results are likely to reflect a steady contact lens market growth, ongoing mix headwinds and a more cautious fertility environment. Following a solid fourth quarter, wherein revenue rose 4.6% year over year to $1.07 billion and adjusted EPS increased 11% to $1.15, investors will be watching for signs that recent operational restructuring and product momentum can offset near-term pressures.

Management has guided 3-4% consolidated organic growth for the soon-to-be-reported quarter, with operating margin expansion expected despite lower gross margins due to tariffs and product mix. The key factors are likely to include continued daily silicone hydrogel (SiHy) mix shift, tariff-related cost pressure and the early benefits of a recently completed reorganization expected to deliver roughly $50 million in annual pretax savings.

Gross margin pressure is likely to have remained a notable headwind. In the fourth quarter, margin declined modestly to 66.2% due to tariffs and mix, and management has indicated further mix-related compression as higher-growth daily SiHy lenses carry lower gross margins than the company average. However, disciplined operating expense control should have benefited the operating margin.

CooperVision: Market Share Momentum vs. Mix Headwinds

CooperVision, which generated $710 million in fourth-quarter revenue (up 3.2% organically), is likely to have remained the primary growth engine in the fiscal first quarter. Strength in MyDay daily SiHy lenses — particularly torics and Energys — and robust growth in MiSight myopia control lenses should have driven first-quarter performance.

Private label contract wins in the United States and Europe are expected to have contributed to top-line growth during the soon-to-be-reported quarter. However, growth could have been tempered by continued weakness in the Asia-Pacific, especially China, where revenue fell 28% in the fourth quarter amid pricing pressure in low-margin e-commerce channels.

Additionally, clariti lenses declined in the low single digits during the fourth quarter, reflecting ongoing repositioning and cannibalization from premium offerings. The trend is likely to have continued in the first quarter. The daily SiHy growth might have benefited revenue per patient and operating profit dollars, but the unfavorable mix is likely to have pressured gross margins.

CooperSurgical: Fertility Recovery Still Tentative

CooperSurgical delivered $356 million in fourth-quarter revenue, up 3.9% organically. Within fertility, revenue grew just 1% against a tough prior-year comparison, with U.S. softness and cautious consumer spending in the Asia-Pacific partially offset by EMEA share gains and strong genomics performance. The trend is likely to have continued in the fiscal first quarter.

For the soon-to-be-reported quarter, management has guided conservatively, reflecting only modest fertility improvement. While early signs of U.S. cycle recovery and new RFP wins are encouraging, macro sensitivity remains a risk.

In office and surgical, PARAGARD rebounded with 16% growth in the fourth quarter, aided by the single-hand inserter upgrade. A similar recovery trend is expected for the first quarter as well.

The Cooper Companies, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

The Cooper Companies, Inc. price-eps-surprise | The Cooper Companies, Inc. Quote

Earnings Beat Likely

Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Cooper Companies this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat, which is the case here.

Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is +0.24%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: COO has a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Other Stocks Worth a Look

Here are a few other medical stocks worth considering, as these too have the right combination of elements to come up with an earnings beat this reporting cycle.

Cardinal Health CAH has an Earnings ESP of +0.39% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present.

CAH’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 9.30%. According to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, CAH’s third-quarter fiscal 2026 EPS is expected to improve 19.2% from the year-ago reported figure.

STAAR Surgical STAA has an Earnings ESP of +7.15% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The company is expected to release fourth-quarter 2025 results on March 03.

STAA’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, the average negative surprise being 586.27%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for STAA’s fourth-quarter EPS implies a gain of 132% from the year-ago reported figure.

McKesson MCK has an Earnings ESP of +1.93% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present.

MCK’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 3.60%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MCK’s fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 EPS indicates a rise of 12.3% from the year-ago reported figure.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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