Core Viewpoint - Seaport Research initiated coverage of Birkenstock with a Neutral rating, indicating concerns over slowing Google search interest growth year-over-year and a significant decline in U.S. search interest for the Boston model during the holiday season [1] Group 1: Company Initiations - Seaport Research initiated coverage of Birkenstock (BIRK) with a Neutral rating and no price target, citing slowing search interest [1] - Freedom Capital initiated coverage of Unity (U) with a Buy rating and a price target of $52, highlighting promising early traction for Unity's Vector AI technology and a valuation multiple under half that of AppLovin [1] - Freedom Capital initiated coverage of Phinia (PHIN) with a Buy rating and a price target of $82, noting its role as a global supplier benefiting from recurring replacement demand and cyclical exposure to vehicle production [1] - Morgan Stanley resumed coverage of Staar Surgical (STAA) with an Underweight rating and a price target of $13, following the termination of its merger agreement with Alcon, expressing concerns over the niche market for EVO ICL technology [1] - B. Riley initiated coverage of Knife River (KNF) with a Buy rating and a price target of $92, suggesting the stock is mispriced after recent underperformance compared to peers [1]

Core Insights - Alcon Inc. is a significant player in the ophthalmic industry, focusing on eye care products and surgical equipment, competing with major companies like Johnson & Johnson Vision and Bausch + Lomb [1] - Stifel Nicolaus has set a price target of $80 for Alcon, with the stock currently trading at $80.62, reflecting a slight decrease of approximately 0.77% from the target price [1][6] Company Developments - Alcon has terminated its agreement to acquire STAAR Surgical due to the failure to secure necessary stockholder votes, which may impact its market position and future growth strategies [2][6] - STAAR Surgical will continue as an independent publicly traded company, with a focus on profitable sales growth and enhancing distribution efficiencies, particularly expanding the use of its EVO ICL technology globally [3][6] Market Performance - Alcon's stock is currently priced at $80.62, showing a decrease of 0.49% or $0.40, with fluctuations between $79.68 and $81.11 today, and a 52-week high of $99.20 and a low of $71.55 [5] - Alcon's market capitalization is approximately $39.87 billion, with a trading volume of 1,128,034 shares [5]

STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ:STAA) announced Tuesday that it did not receive the necessary stockholder votes to approve the merger agreement with Alcon Inc. (NYSE:ALC) at the Special Meeting of Stockholders.STAAR intends to terminate its merger agreement with Alcon.No termination fee will be payable by either party, and STAAR will remain a standalone publicly traded company.Stephen Farrell, CEO of STAAR, said, “…In the short term, we will continue to prioritize profitable sales growth while we drive effic ...