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Side-by-side financial comparison of STAAR SURGICAL CO (STAA) and STEM, INC. (STEM). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

STAAR SURGICAL CO is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($49.0M vs $47.1M, roughly 1.0× STEM, INC.). STEM, INC. runs the higher net margin — -33.9% vs -69.9%, a 36.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, STEM, INC. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-15.6% vs -35.8%). Over the past eight quarters, STEM, INC.'s revenue compounded faster (36.1% CAGR vs -18.4%).

STAAR Surgical Co is a global ophthalmic medical device firm. It designs, makes and sells implantable collamer lenses (ICLs) for minimally invasive vision correction, plus supporting surgical products for ophthalmologists across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and other key regional markets.

StemCells, Inc. is a public biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Newark, California, that is developing purified human neural stem cells (HuCNS-SCs) in the hopes of treating central nervous system disorders and paralysis. StemCells' HuCNS-SCs have the ability to differentiate into the three main types of cells found in the central nervous system: neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.

STAA vs STEM — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
STAA
STAA
1.0× larger
STAA
$49.0M
$47.1M
STEM
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STEM
STEM
+20.3% gap
STEM
-15.6%
-35.8%
STAA
Higher net margin
STEM
STEM
36.0% more per $
STEM
-33.9%
-69.9%
STAA
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STEM
STEM
Annualised
STEM
36.1%
-18.4%
STAA

Income Statement — Q4 FY2024 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Revenue
$49.0M
$47.1M
Net Profit
$-34.2M
$-16.0M
Gross Margin
64.7%
48.9%
Operating Margin
-57.0%
-17.7%
Net Margin
-69.9%
-33.9%
Revenue YoY
-35.8%
-15.6%
Net Profit YoY
-541.3%
68.8%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.69
$-4.40

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$47.1M
Q3 25
$38.2M
Q2 25
$38.4M
Q1 25
$32.5M
Q4 24
$49.0M
$55.8M
Q3 24
$88.6M
$29.3M
Q2 24
$99.0M
$34.0M
Q1 24
$77.4M
$25.5M
Net Profit
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$-16.0M
Q3 25
$-23.8M
Q2 25
$202.5M
Q1 25
$-25.0M
Q4 24
$-34.2M
$-51.1M
Q3 24
$10.0M
$-148.3M
Q2 24
$7.4M
$-582.3M
Q1 24
$-3.3M
$-72.3M
Gross Margin
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
48.9%
Q3 25
35.5%
Q2 25
33.4%
Q1 25
32.4%
Q4 24
64.7%
-4.4%
Q3 24
77.3%
21.2%
Q2 24
79.2%
27.6%
Q1 24
78.9%
-95.0%
Operating Margin
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
-17.7%
Q3 25
-33.6%
Q2 25
-34.8%
Q1 25
-65.0%
Q4 24
-57.0%
-84.4%
Q3 24
6.4%
-493.2%
Q2 24
12.0%
-1705.5%
Q1 24
-2.9%
-267.0%
Net Margin
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
-33.9%
Q3 25
-62.2%
Q2 25
527.8%
Q1 25
-76.9%
Q4 24
-69.9%
-91.6%
Q3 24
11.3%
-506.3%
Q2 24
7.5%
-1712.6%
Q1 24
-4.3%
-283.9%
EPS (diluted)
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$-4.40
Q3 25
$-2.84
Q2 25
$-1.79
Q1 25
$-0.15
Q4 24
$-0.69
$-15.29
Q3 24
$0.20
$-18.24
Q2 24
$0.15
$-71.81
Q1 24
$-0.07
$-0.46

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$230.5M
$48.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$397.3M
$-249.4M
Total Assets
$509.5M
$308.9M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$48.9M
Q3 25
$43.1M
Q2 25
$40.8M
Q1 25
$58.6M
Q4 24
$230.5M
$56.3M
Q3 24
$236.0M
$75.4M
Q2 24
$235.2M
$89.6M
Q1 24
$245.1M
$112.8M
Stockholders' Equity
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$-249.4M
Q3 25
$-235.7M
Q2 25
$-214.1M
Q1 25
$-417.5M
Q4 24
$397.3M
$-398.4M
Q3 24
$428.1M
$-344.1M
Q2 24
$409.1M
$-203.2M
Q1 24
$392.8M
$371.6M
Total Assets
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$308.9M
Q3 25
$362.6M
Q2 25
$379.2M
Q1 25
$405.1M
Q4 24
$509.5M
$437.4M
Q3 24
$537.6M
$537.8M
Q2 24
$512.7M
$691.5M
Q1 24
$492.5M
$1.3B

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$642.0K
$8.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-5.1M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-10.4%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
11.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-7.7M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
$8.2M
Q3 25
$11.4M
Q2 25
$-21.3M
Q1 25
$8.5M
Q4 24
$642.0K
$-14.7M
Q3 24
$3.8M
$-9.4M
Q2 24
$-10.4M
$-11.9M
Q1 24
$21.7M
$-621.0K
Free Cash Flow
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
$-5.1M
Q3 24
$-2.4M
Q2 24
$-16.6M
Q1 24
$16.5M
FCF Margin
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
-10.4%
Q3 24
-2.7%
Q2 24
-16.8%
Q1 24
21.3%
Capex Intensity
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
11.7%
Q3 24
7.0%
Q2 24
6.3%
Q1 24
6.7%
Cash Conversion
STAA
STAA
STEM
STEM
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
-0.11×
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
0.38×
Q2 24
-1.41×
Q1 24

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

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