Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (VRX) Buys Bausch & Lomb, Boosts The Cooper Companies, Inc. (COO) and Actavis Inc (ACT)

Bausch & Lomb had also filed for an initial public offering (IPO) which stands to be negated now. Absence of a major rival among listed companies is also a factor in why the stock popped. Besides, the company is doing reasonably well in its business. In the quarter ended Jan. 31, The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO) reported a 16.5% jump in revenue to $379.8 million apart from better margins. As a result, net profit saw jumped to $74.7 million, up from $54.6 million. The company uses moderate debt in its capital structure, underlined by a debt-equity ratio of 0.18.

The deal has once again ignited a debate as to whether aggressive inorganic growth strategy is the way forward. Valeant has a debt-equity ratio of 2 as of now and this metric is only likely to go up from here as it takes on more debt. So far, the acquisition approach has worked for companies like Actavis Inc (NYSE:ACT) which is a generics player. Actavis Inc (NYSE:ACT) recently announced it would take over its competitor Warner Chilcott Plc (NASDAQ:WCRX). It is unlikely we have heard the last from Actavis Inc (NYSE:ACT) as the company itself remains an acquisition target. Among the interested parties were Valeant, Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE:NVS), and Mylan. Valeant must now be out of the race but Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE:NVS) has ample room for a big acquisition.

With its forward price earnings ratio of 13.6 and a debt equity ratio of 1.8, Actavis Inc (NYSE:ACT) has a lot going in its favor. For the latest quarter, its revenue went up 24% to $1.9 billion, with the company receiving a strong push from its international business. Although the bottom-line was impacted by acquisition related charges, adjusted EBITDA jumped 26.2% to $463.6 million. Investors’ confidence in Actavis Inc (NYSE:ACT)’s strategy is clearly visible in its surging stock which has gone up 28% over the last month or so.

Foolish bottom line

While the debate continues, companies focused on acquisition-led growth are not letting opportunities slip away. Given the inherent risks with this business model, going long in steady stocks such as The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO) may not be a bad idea.

Jacob Wolinsky has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Jacob is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

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