rewrite this title and make it good for SEOAnalysts Question STAAR Surgical Company (STAA)’s Post-Merger Standalone Valuation

We recently compiled a list of the 12 Cheap Small-Cap Stocks to Invest In Before the Next Breakout.  STAAR Surgical Company tops our list for being one of the best small-cap stocks on our list.

TheFly reported on January 16 that Morgan Stanley resumed coverage of STAA with an Underweight rating and a $13 price target following the termination of its merger agreement with Alcon (ALC). The firm described STAAR’s EVO ICL technology as “impressive” but noted it remains a niche product with a limited addressable patient pool. Morgan Stanley added that expansion in the U.S. and other Western markets will likely be challenging, even as the company executes effectively, and highlighted that it is “a bit surprising” the shares are trading above pre-merger levels.

Concurrently, on the same day, Canaccord Genuity lowered its price target on the stock to $22 from $30.75 and maintained a Hold rating. The adjustment follows the company’s cooperation agreement with its largest shareholder, Broadwood Partners, and the rejection of the Alcon merger by shareholders. Canaccord shifted its valuation framework back to STAAR’s standalone fundamentals rather than the proposed Alcon deal price.

STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ:STAA) is a U.S. ophthalmic medical device firm that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets implantable lenses, especially the EVO family of Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICLs), for vision correction to reduce reliance on glasses or contact lenses.

While we acknowledge the potential of STAA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

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