Bausch Health Cos (NYSE:BHC) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

Posted by Brian Himes on Oct 30th, 2026

Bausch Health Cos Inc. (NYSE:BHC – Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Investors purchased 6,018 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 120% compared to the typical volume of 2,732 call options.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Aimee Lenar sold 36,827 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.03, for a total transaction of $258,893.81. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 334,853 shares in the company, valued at $2,354,016.59. This represents a 9.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 20.67% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Bausch Health Cos

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Roxbury Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bausch Health Cos during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Tacita Capital Inc acquired a new position in shares of Bausch Health Cos in the second quarter worth about $29,000. MQS Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bausch Health Cos in the first quarter worth about $94,000. Amundi boosted its holdings in Bausch Health Cos by 61.7% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 23,983 shares of the company’s stock valued at $130,000 after purchasing an additional 9,148 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Bausch Health Cos by 132.9% in the first quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 29,791 shares of the company’s stock valued at $161,000 after purchasing an additional 17,001 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.65% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on BHC shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Bausch Health Cos from $6.50 to $8.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Zacks Research upgraded Bausch Health Cos from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Bausch Health Cos from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Bausch Health Cos from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Bausch Health Cos in a research report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $8.25.

Get Our Latest Research Report on BHC

Bausch Health Cos Price Performance

Shares of BHC opened at $8.89 on Friday. Bausch Health Cos has a 12 month low of $4.33 and a 12 month high of $9.04. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $6.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.72. The stock has a market cap of $3.33 billion, a PE ratio of -3.88 and a beta of 0.37.

Bausch Health Cos (NYSE:BHC – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.52. The business had revenue of $2.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.72 billion. Bausch Health Cos had a negative return on equity of 369.48% and a negative net margin of 7.57%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Bausch Health Cos will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Bausch Health Cos News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Bausch Health Cos this week:

Positive Sentiment: Better-than-expected third-quarter results: Revenue increased 10% year over year to $2.94 billion, while adjusted EPS rose 53% to $1.77, exceeding consensus estimates. Adjusted EBITDA reached $1.305 billion, up 32%. Bausch Health third-quarter results and guidance
Positive Sentiment: Salix growth and higher guidance: Xifaxan-led growth in the Salix pharmaceutical segment helped drive the earnings beat. Management raised full-year 2026 revenue, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted cash-flow guidance, reinforcing expectations for continued momentum. BHC Q3 earnings beat and outlook
Positive Sentiment: Debt reduction and share repurchases: Bausch Health Americas plans to redeem approximately $643 million of 8.5% senior notes due 2027 using cash on hand, potentially reducing interest expense and refinancing risk. The company also authorized a $50 million share-repurchase program, primarily to offset employee-equity dilution. Bausch Health debt redemption
Positive Sentiment: Higher RBC price target: Royal Bank of Canada raised its target from $9 to $10 while retaining a “sector perform” rating, indicating moderate additional upside but not a strongly bullish view.
Neutral Sentiment: Increased call-option activity: Trading volume in call options was roughly 120% above average, signaling heightened speculative interest but not necessarily a change in the company’s fundamentals.
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain mixed: The improved results and guidance support the recent rally, but “sector perform” ratings suggest investors may already be pricing in much of the recovery.
Negative Sentiment: Financial risk persists: Bausch Health continues to carry significant debt and has reported negative net margins and return on equity, while using cash for debt redemption and repurchases could limit balance-sheet flexibility.

About Bausch Health Cos

(Get Free Report)

Bausch Health Companies Inc (NYSE:BHC) is a multinational specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded, generic and over-the-counter medicines. Its portfolio serves several therapeutic areas, including gastroenterology, dermatology, neurology, ophthalmology, hospital products and other specialty-care markets.

The company markets products through businesses such as Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ortho Dermatologics, Solta Medical and its international pharmaceutical operations.