Health Care Supplies

Retractable Technologies has declared a $1.00 per share dividend. The dividend is payable Oct. 22 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 12, which is also the ex-dividend date. The declaration applies to the company's Series II and Series III Class B preferred stock.

Minsheng Health announced on September 30 that the company received the Drug Supplementary Application Approval Notice for Glucosamine Sulfate Capsules issued by the National Medical Products Administration. The drug is indicated for primary and secondary osteoarthritis, with the main ingredient being glucosamine sulfate sodium chloride. The specification is 0.25 grams calculated as glucosamine sulfate, or 0.314 grams calculated as glucosamine sulfate sodium chloride. The drug has a shelf life of 18 months, and the approval number is H20255903. In the first half of 2026, Minsheng Health achieved revenue of 535 million yuan and net profit attributable to the parent company of 83.39 million yuan.

Minsheng Health announced that the company has received the Drug Supplementary Application Approval Notice for Glucosamine Sulfate Capsules issued by the National Medical Products Administration. The drug is indicated for primary and secondary osteoarthritis. The company stated that obtaining this drug approval will help enrich its product portfolio and enhance market competitiveness. The company also cautioned that pharmaceutical sales are susceptible to industry policy changes, market competition, and other factors, and therefore involve uncertainty.

Beta Bionics announced a partnership with Senseonics to expand compatibility between its automated insulin delivery platform and Senseonics' continuous glucose monitoring technology. The integrated iLet and Eversense 365 system is expected to launch commercially in the fourth quarter of 2026, after which the iLet is expected to support Dexcom G6, Dexcom G7, Abbott's FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus and Senseonics' Eversense 365, which Beta Bionics expects will make the iLet compatible with more CGM manufacturers than any other AID system. Beta Bionics also intends to integrate its next-generation mint AID system with Eversense 365 in the future. Following the Sept. 22 announcement, shares of BBNX lost more than 8% in the next trading session and have lost 32.6% year to date, compared with the industry's 4.9% decline, leaving the company with a market capitalization of $967.7 million. Separately, BBNX recently secured FDA clearance for its Mint patch pump and unveiled its next-generation 3D Intelligence insulin dosing algorithm, which is currently under FDA review.

STAAR Surgical authorized a share repurchase program of up to $50M after Thursday's market close, sending shares about 7% higher in Friday trading. The buyback will be funded with organic free cash flow and cash on hand. Despite the gain, STAAR Surgical is down about 12% year to date and off about 24% over the last year.

STAAR Surgical's board has authorized a share repurchase program of up to $50M of its outstanding common stock. The program is expected to run for 12 months. STAAR plans to fund repurchases with organic free cash flow and cash on hand, with no outstanding debt and $181.5M in cash, equivalents, and investments as of July 3, 2026. The company had roughly 50.1M shares outstanding as of August 7, 2026, making the authorized buyback equivalent to up to roughly 5% of shares outstanding if fully utilized.

The Cooper Companies COO announced the opening of The Vision Centre, a new global innovation hub in Southampton, England, for its CooperVision business, alongside six product advancements spanning myopia control, silicone hydrogel, toric and multifocal contact lenses with launches planned over the next several years. The Vision Centre is designed to bring research and development, clinical expertise, pilot manufacturing, advanced technologies and commercial capabilities under one facility, supporting research, clinical studies, product development and new product introduction programs. CooperVision's accelerated pipeline includes a complete family of 1-day contact lenses for myopia control, a premium 1-day silicone hydrogel technology, a next-generation silicone hydrogel material for monthly contact lenses, a 1-day silicone hydrogel product aimed at expanding fits, a 1-day silicone hydrogel toric multifocal lens and a new toric 1-day lens experience for patients with astigmatism. CooperVision's products currently reach more than 40 million people worldwide, and the company expects to provide further updates on its product pipeline going forward. Following the announcement, COO stock gained 1.4% at yesterday's close, though shares have declined 31.6% year to date against the industry's 2.8% growth and the S&P 500's 12% gain, leaving a market capitalization of $10.51 billion.

Polaris Capital Management's Global Equity Strategy highlighted Lantheus Holdings in its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, citing strong quarterly earnings, the FDA approval of PYLARIFY TruVu, and intensified M&A interest from a potential $7 billion takeover bid by PE-backed Curium Pharma. The Polaris Global Equity Composite returned 13.26% net of fees for the quarter, trailing the MSCI World Index's 13.90% return with gross dividends reinvested, but remained ahead year-to-date through June 30, 2026, gaining 19.95% versus 9.94% for the benchmark. Lantheus closed at $100.28 per share on September 22, 2026, down 0.58% over the past month but up 92.62% over the past 52 weeks, with a market capitalization of $6.55 billion and a 52-week range of $49.67 to $111.86. Forty hedge fund portfolios held Lantheus at the end of the second quarter, up from 31 in the previous quarter.

MiniMed Group reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 results for the period ended July 31, 2026, with worldwide net sales up 16.6% as reported and 15.8% organically to $843 million, U.S. net sales up 13.1%, and management raising full-year organic revenue growth guidance to approximately 10.5% from 10%. Nine analysts raised their price targets after the print, with BofA lifting its target to $28 from $24, Mizuho to $26 from $21, BTIG to $28 from $25, and Wells Fargo's Larry Biegelsen to $26 from $22, all citing pipeline milestones landing ahead of schedule, including MiniMed Fit's FDA submission with a full U.S. launch expected summer 2027, a CE Mark for MiniMed Flex, completed enrollment in the Vivera closed-loop trial, and IDE approval for the next-generation extended wear sensor. Operating detail supported the optimism, with new pumps sold in the U.S. up more than 20% year-over-year, new prescribers writing for Flex up 24%, competitive conversions from rival pump makers doubled from a year ago, and the global CGM attachment rate reaching 69% from 64%. The cash flow picture was weaker: adjusted EBITDA margin was just 9.9% and free cash flow was negative $90 million, of which $111 million came from separation and standup costs tied to building MiniMed into an independent company, without which free cash flow would have been positive $21 million, while $8 million in pulled-forward spending and a $12 million currency remeasurement charge together cut about 230 basis points from EBITDA margin. Only 17 of the 160 transition service agreements with Medtronic have been exited, most of the rest are not expected to wrap up until sometime in calendar 2027, and an extra week in the fiscal calendar added 4 to 6 percentage points to reported growth that management said will normalize out next quarter. Hedge fund ownership rose to 26 funds from 22, while short interest sits at 28.25% of float.

Activist investor Jana Partners has sent a letter to Cooper Companies urging the contact lens maker to pursue a sale and change its leadership, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Jana said Cooper requires an urgent overhaul to address what it called chronic underperformance and its inability to manage inventory and capital spending. The hedge fund called on the company to replace CEO Albert White, appoint a new board chair, engage with potential buyers of the contact lens business, and consider selling its fertility and medical device assets. Jana began building its stake in Cooper roughly a year ago and previously suggested the company consider strategic alternatives, including a potential combination with rival Bausch + Lomb. Cooper shares climbed 1.7% post-market Thursday on the report; they have slumped 34% year to date, and the company reduced its full-year outlook earlier this month after lowering its contact lens inventory as part of a strategic review.

Bank of America upgraded Haemonetics to Buy from Neutral on Thursday, citing a recent supply deal the blood management solutions provider signed with Australian biopharma company CSL Limited. The non-exclusive deal follows CSL's decision to terminate its plasma supply agreement with Haemonetics in 2021 and carries no minimum purchase requirements, BofA analyst Joanne Wuensch wrote. Wuensch said that in a healthy plasma market, the return of the CSL contract in the US market should provide upside to organic revenue growth, operating margins, and EPS over the next several years, and she raised her price target on Haemonetics to $123 from $92 per share. Haemonetics, based in Boston, Massachusetts, disclosed the deal last month and said it will report the financial impact on fiscal 2027 results alongside its fiscal second-quarter earnings, scheduled for November.

STAAR Surgical reported second-quarter results on August 12 for the quarter ended July 3, swinging to $8.1 million of net income from a year-earlier loss as net sales jumped 111% year over year to $93.5 million. China sales more than doubled to $52.3 million, now accounting for more than half of total revenue, driven largely by the EVO+ lens variant launched earlier in the year, which lifted both procedure volumes and average selling prices as patients shifted toward pricier toric lenses. Sales outside China rose 6% to $41.2 million, with the Americas up 12% on growing US market share and EMEA excluding the Middle East also up 12%, while overall EMEA slipped 1% on continued Middle East disruption. Gross margin improved to 74.5% from 74.0%, and the company ended the quarter with $181.5 million in cash and no debt, up from $163.9 million three months earlier. Management cautioned that the 111% growth reflects an unusually weak year-earlier baseline, when STAAR shipped only minimal quantities to China as distributors worked down excess inventory, and asked investors to compare the coming third quarter against an adjusted base of $68.8 million rather than the reported $94.7 million, which included a one-time $25.9 million order. New CEO Warren Foust, who became permanent CEO after six months as interim co-CEO, is still searching for a Chief Technology Officer to lead the promised innovation push.

MiniMed reported its first full quarter as a stand-alone public company on September 1, with revenue rising 15.8% to $843 million and management raising its full-year organic revenue growth guidance to roughly 10.5% from 10%. US revenue grew 13.1%, a sharp acceleration from the 1.5% growth posted in the prior quarter, as the MiniMed Flex insulin pump that began shipping in late June drove new US pump sales up more than 20% year over year and new prescribers writing for Flex up 24%. International revenue grew 16.9%, helped by a threefold increase in Simplera sensor manufacturing output, with new pump sales jumping 50% in the UK and 20% in France after the region gained access to the 15-day Instinct sensor. Profitability lagged the top line: adjusted EBITDA margin was 9.9% and free cash flow was negative $90 million, including $111 million in separation and standup costs, without which free cash flow would have been positive $21 million, while only 17 of 160 transition service agreements with Medtronic have been exited. MiniMed also flagged that an extra week in its fiscal calendar added 4 to 6 percentage points to the quarter's growth rate, and noted that hedge fund ownership rose from 22 funds to 26 while short interest stands at 20.66% of float.

Neogen Corporation is raising fiscal 2027 research and development spending by about 50% as it expands its food and animal safety pipeline and brings Petrifilm manufacturing in-house at its Lansing facility. The company expects to complete validation of the first Petrifilm SKU by the end of August 2026, with sellable production and a multi-quarter manufacturing transition beginning in November 2026, and it plans at least two Petrifilm SKU launches annually with at least five candidates identified. Neogen's Animal Safety business entered fiscal 2027 with most third-party supplier issues resolved, after fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues fell 8.2% year over year while core revenues rose 0.5% and sales increased more than 7% sequentially. Neogen ended fiscal 2026 with $185.5 million in cash against about $800 million in debt, and plans to use roughly $140 million of expected net Genomics proceeds primarily for debt reduction. Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Neogen's fiscal 2027 earnings has risen 3.3% to 31 cents, while the consensus mark for fiscal 2027 revenues is pegged at $883.2 million, suggesting a 1.5% rise from the prior year.

CooperCompanies announced fiscal third quarter 2026 results, with revenue rising 1% year-over-year to $1.066 billion and non-GAAP diluted EPS up 4% to $1.15, while GAAP EPS surged to $2.24 on a $307.2 million tax benefit. The company completed its strategic review, repurchased $339.1 million of stock, and expanded its buyback authorization from $2 billion to $3 billion, leaving about $1.5 billion available. Free cash flow jumped 66% to $273.0 million. CooperVision revenue was flat at $717.0 million, while CooperSurgical grew 2% to $349.2 million. For fiscal 2026, the company guides total revenue of $4.229-$4.252 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $4.51-$4.55, reaffirming a long-term free cash flow objective exceeding $2.2 billion for fiscal years 2026 through 2028.

CooperCompanies has completed its strategic review, with the board unanimously deciding to retain CooperSurgical and expanding its share repurchase authorization from $2 billion to $3 billion. The company repurchased $445 million of shares this fiscal year and will prioritize investments in CooperVision while CooperSurgical focuses on organic growth and operational improvements. The board added two new independent directors and remains open to other value-creating alternatives. CooperCompanies also announced its Q3 2026 earnings results in a separate release.

Thai Optical Group Public Company Limited (TOG) has confirmed that the trade war between the United States and Canada does not directly affect its business, as it has production bases in Thailand and orders from key markets continue to flow in steadily. The company remains focused on maintaining its market base in the U.S. and Canada, while seeking opportunities to expand into new markets in the Middle East, particularly Lebanon. However, the company has restored approximately 90% of its production capacity following the building fire, with the remaining 10% expected to be gradually restored once the building renovation is completed.

Dentsply Sirona Inc. reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of 52 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 36 cents by 44.4%, while revenues of $898 million topped expectations by 1.6%, despite a 4.1% year-over-year decline as reported and a 6.3% drop at constant currency. The company maintained its 2026 net sales outlook of $3.5 billion to $3.6 billion and adjusted earnings guidance of $1.40-$1.50 per share, excluding tariff refund benefits. Wellspect Healthcare was the bright spot, with revenues up 7.1% to $86 million, while Connected Technology Solutions fell 1.5%, Essential Dental Solutions declined 2.7%, and Orthodontic and Implant Solutions dropped 13.2%. Adjusted gross margin improved 50 basis points to 56.4%, and adjusted EBITDA margin rose 20 basis points to 21.3%, but adjusted operating margin contracted 240 basis points to 15.8% due to lower volumes, unfavorable mix, tariff costs, and higher expenses. Free cash flow increased to $55 million from $16 million a year earlier, though cash and equivalents fell to $239 million from $326 million at year-end 2025, with net debt-to-EBITDA at 3.2.

MiniMed reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of $843 million, up 15.8% organically, and raised its full-year organic revenue growth outlook to approximately 10.5% from 10%. The company, which became a stand-alone public company in early March after its IPO, saw U.S. revenue grow 13.1% and international revenue rise 16.9%, with the extra week in the fiscal calendar contributing 4 to 6 points to growth. Adjusted EBITDA was $83 million, a margin of 9.9%, including a 230-basis-point impact from accelerated investments and a nonoperational FX charge. CEO Que Dallara highlighted the successful launch of the MiniMed Flex pump, which drove U.S. new pump sales up over 20%, and announced that the MiniMed Fit patch pump has been submitted to the FDA ahead of schedule, with a full U.S. launch expected by summer 2027. The company also completed enrollment in the U.S. pivotal trial for its Vivera fully closed-loop algorithm, with a launch expected in the second half of calendar 2027, and received IDE approval for a next-generation extended wear sensor.