We recently published a list of 20 Stocks Insiders Bought in April After Trump’s Tariff Rollout. In this article, we are going to take a look at where STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ:STAA) stands against other stocks that insiders bought in April after Trump’s tariff rollout.
President Donald Trump called April 2 a “Liberation Day” after signing an executive order that imposed a minimum 10% tariff on all U.S. imports, with some exceptions. As a result, 57 countries will face higher tariffs ranging from 11% to 50%. While general tariffs took effect on April 5, the elevated rates are set to begin on April 9. These so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ triggered retaliation from trade partners and contributed to a decline in the stock market.” On Sunday, Trump said, “I don’t want anything to go down, but sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” as reported by CNBC.
The blue-chip companies closed the Monday market session 0.91% lower, while the broader market index closed 0.23% lower after briefly entering bear market territory during the session. The Nasdaq Composite closed 0.10% higher.
Amid these tariff wars and overwhelming market uncertainty, insider trading often comes to focus. Why? When executives buy stock, it can suggest confidence in the company’s future. On the other hand, insider sales don’t have to be a negative sign for the company, because they can reflect personal decisions or investment diversification. This means that insider trading should be considered alongside the company’s financial health and market conditions.
Our Methodology
Today, we’re focusing on stocks that insiders have been buying in April. Using Insider Monkey’s insider trading screener, we identified companies where at least one insider acquired shares from April 2 to April 7. From this list, we ranked the top 20 stocks with the highest value of insider purchases.
Our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds, focusing on insider trading and stock picks from hedge fund investor newsletters and conferences. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
A surgeon examining a patient’s eyes with a microscope, focusing on locating defects in vision.
STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ:STAA)
STAAR Surgical designs, develops, and manufactures implantable lenses and delivery systems for treating visual disorders like myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. The Lake Forest, California-based company sells its products to healthcare providers globally, including ophthalmic surgeons, hospitals, and vision centers, with direct sales in several countries.
This month, one insider purchased $13.63 million worth of STAAR Surgical shares at an average price of $16.18 per share. Year-to-date, the stock is down 33.55%, trading at $16.14 per share. Over the past 12 months, STAAR Surgical shares dropped 67.39%.
For fiscal year 2024, the company reported net sales of $313.9 million, compared to $322.4 million in the prior year. The decrease in net sales was driven largely by the significant decline in China revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024. Net loss was $20.2 million, which compares to net income of $21.3 million in 2023. Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $23.2 million, or $0.47 per share, compared to $56.8 million, or $1.15 per share a year ago.
According to 10 analysts’ estimates, STAAR Surgical stock is a “Hold” with a price target of $25.29. The average price target suggests a 56.66% potential upside from the latest price.
Overall, STAA ranks 2nd on our list of stocks that insiders bought in April after Trump’s tariff rollout. While we acknowledge the potential of STAA, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than STAA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
