LIVE
STAA
STAAR Surgical Company · Healthcare - Medical Devices
$29.12
-10.67% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
BEAM
Beam Therapeutics Inc. · Healthcare - Gene Editing Biotechnology
$34.14
+29.66% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
STAA
1
BEAM
3
Comparison scoreboard
BEAM LEADS 3/5AI Score
STAA ✓44.5
BEAM 33.2
1Y Return
STAA +72.82%
BEAM ✓+100.94%
Fwd P/E
STAA 29.49
BEAM ✓-7.20
Target Up.
STAA +1.88%
BEAM ✓+49.58%
Op. Margin
STAA N/A
BEAM N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
STAA vs BEAM Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
STAA (STAAR Surgical) and BEAM (Beam Therapeutics) are both companies correcting biological issues through technology but at very different development stages — STAAR is a commercial medical device company generating revenue from its EVO ICL ophthalmic procedure with monopoly positioning in phakic IOLs, while Beam is a clinical-stage gene editing biotech with no revenue but exciting base editing technology potentially applicable to hundreds of genetic diseases years from commercialization.
STAA vs BEAM is commercial implantable lens with monopoly phakic IOL positioning (STAAR's EVO ICL reversible surgical vision correction for high-myopia patients with China growth exposure and sole-source competitive position among phakic IOLs) versus preclinical/clinical base editing gene therapy platform (Beam Therapeutics' precision DNA base conversion technology with sickle cell and CAR-T programs representing the next generation of genetic medicine) — commercial medical device compounder versus high-risk/high-reward gene editing platform.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
BEAM holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. BEAM leads on both 1-year return (+100.94%) and forward P/E (-7.20x vs 29.49x for STAA), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for BEAM (+49.58%) than for STAA (+1.88%).
Normalized 1Y performance
STAA
BEAM
Recent returns
STAA
BEAM
Analyst price targets & sentiment
STAA · 9 analysts
Price target range
analyst low$23.00
analyst high$40.00
analyst mean$29.67
current price$29.12
+1.9% upside to analyst mean
BEAM · 15 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Strong Buy (1.3/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$26.00
analyst high$80.00
analyst mean$51.07
current price$34.14
+49.6% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
STAA may suit investors who:
- →Want exposure to surgical vision correction with STAAR's monopoly phakic IOL position — EVO ICL is the only widely available surgical vision correction for patients who can't have LASIK, providing durable competitive moat
- →Value China's high myopia prevalence and rising middle class investment in premium healthcare as a structural long-term growth driver for EVO ICL procedure volumes
- →Prefer a commercial-stage, revenue-generating medical device company versus Beam's pre-revenue, clinical-stage profile with multi-year regulatory uncertainty
BEAM may suit investors who:
- →Believe base editing represents a generational advance in precision medicine — the ability to correct specific DNA mutations without double-strand breaks could enable treatments for thousands of genetic diseases currently untreatable
- →Accept the clinical-stage risk and multi-year commercialization timeline as appropriate for potentially transformative gene editing technology in sickle cell disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer immunotherapy
- →Want exposure to the next generation of gene therapy beyond CRISPR with a company that has foundational IP in base editing and multiple clinical programs demonstrating the technology's versatility
Performance & AI score
| Metric | STAA | BEAM |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 44.5 | 33.2 |
| AI rank | #766 | #1942 |
| Latest close | $29.12 | $34.14 |
| 1M return | -10.67% | +29.66% |
| 6M return | +12.48% | +33.36% |
| 1Y return | +72.82% | +100.94% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | STAA | BEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $17.28K (+72.8%) started 2025-06-18 | $20.09K (+100.9%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $2K (-80.0%) started 2021-06-18 | $4.02K (-59.8%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $52K (+420.0%) started 2016-06-20 | $18.21K (+82.1%) started 2020-02-06 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | STAA | BEAM |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $1.45B | $3.51B |
| Trailing P/E | N/A | N/A |
| Forward P/E | 29.49 | -7.20 |
| Price/Sales | 4.99 | 21.42 |
| EV/Revenue | 4.52 | 12.95 |
| Analyst target | $29.67 | $51.07 |
| Target upside | +1.88% | +49.58% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | STAA | BEAM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 119.60% | 324.90% |
| Earnings growth | N/A | N/A |
| EPS growth | N/A | N/A |
| FCF margin | -6.03% | -142.40% |
| Operating margin | N/A | N/A |
| Profit margin | -7.24% | -40.23% |
| ROIC proxy | -5.99% | -5.77% |
| Return on equity | -5.99% | -5.77% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Beta | 1.23 | 2.20 |
| Debt/equity | 10.58 | 21.54 |
| Current ratio | 5.12 | 16.99 |
| Quick ratio | 4.09 | 16.25 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
STAA max drawdown43.65%
BEAM max drawdown38.15%
STAA max wkly drop14.55%
BEAM max wkly drop16.62%
5Y risk snapshot
STAA max drawdown90.72%
BEAM max drawdown89.12%
STAA max wkly drop30.26%
BEAM max wkly drop31.25%
10Y risk snapshot
STAA max drawdown90.72%
BEAM max drawdown89.12%
STAA max wkly drop30.26%
BEAM max wkly drop41.11%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | STAA | BEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +72.82% | +100.94% |
| CAGR | +72.88% | +101.04% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.04 | 1.24 | |
| Max drawdown | 43.65% | 38.15% | |
| Max daily drop | 8.98% | 10.48% | |
| Max wkly drop | 14.55% | 16.62% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -79.98% | -59.84% |
| CAGR | -27.51% | -16.68% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.29 | 0.08 | |
| Max drawdown | 90.72% | 89.12% | |
| Max daily drop | 24.68% | 19.32% | |
| Max wkly drop | 30.26% | 31.25% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +420.00% | +82.08% |
| CAGR | +17.94% | +9.88% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.49 | 0.46 | |
| Max drawdown | 90.72% | 89.12% | |
| Max daily drop | 24.68% | 23.42% | |
| Max wkly drop | 30.26% | 41.11% |
Business comparison
| Category | STAA | BEAM |
|---|---|---|
| Company | STAAR Surgical Company | Beam Therapeutics Inc. |
| Sector | Healthcare - Medical Devices | Healthcare - Gene Editing Biotechnology |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | STAAR Surgical is a medical device company focused on implantable lenses — primarily EVO Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens), a biocompatible lens surgically inserted in front of the natural lens to correct myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. Unlike LASIK, the ICL doesn't remove corneal tissue — it's a reversible additive procedure for patients who want reduced dependence on glasses or contacts. STAAR is the only manufacturer of phakic IOLs (implants placed with the natural lens still in place) at commercial scale. | Beam Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing base editing therapies — a precision gene editing technology that converts one DNA 'letter' (base) to another without making double-strand breaks in DNA. Beam's lead programs include: BEAM-101 (base editing for sickle cell disease), BEAM-301 (glycogen storage disease type Ia), and ex vivo CAR-T cell engineering programs using base editing to improve cancer immunotherapy. Base editing is a refinement of CRISPR — it enables more precise, predictable genetic corrections without the unintended insertion/deletions (indels) that CRISPR's double-strand break mechanism can cause. |
| Investor focus | Investors track STAAR's EVO ICL procedure volumes (particularly in China — a key growth market — and the U.S.), average selling price trends, market penetration versus LASIK, and the growth of EVO ICL acceptance among ophthalmologists and patients globally. | Investors track Beam's clinical trial results for its lead programs (particularly sickle cell and cancer CAR-T), the IND submissions and trial progress for base editing therapies, cash runway (Beam is pre-revenue), competitive positioning versus CRISPR-based therapies (Casgevy), and foundational patent estate strength. |
STAA strengths
- →EVO ICL is the only widely available phakic IOL competitor to LASIK — STAAR is essentially a monopoly in the commercial phakic IOL market; patients with high myopia, thin corneas, or other LASIK contraindications who want surgical vision correction have limited alternatives to EVO ICL
- →Strong China market growth from high myopia prevalence — China has among the world's highest myopia prevalence rates (70%+ of urban Chinese young adults are myopic); rapidly growing Chinese middle class spending on premium eye care drives EVO ICL adoption
- →EVO ICL's reversibility differentiates versus LASIK for hesitant patients — EVO can be removed (LASIK cannot be reversed); this appeals to patients who want vision correction but are apprehensive about permanent LASIK changes; the additive, reversible nature addresses a common hesitation
BEAM strengths
- →Base editing technology addresses CRISPR's precision limitations — standard CRISPR creates double-strand DNA breaks; repair mechanisms can introduce unintended mutations (indels); base editing converts specific bases without breaks, providing more predictable outcomes; this precision advantage is critical for clinical therapeutics
- →Broad platform applicable to hundreds of genetic disease targets — base editing can theoretically correct any single-letter DNA mutation (point mutation) causing disease; with thousands of human genetic diseases caused by point mutations, Beam's platform has potentially vast applicability
- →Ex vivo CAR-T base editing collaboration with industry leaders — Beam has partnerships with major pharma companies for applying base editing to CAR-T cell engineering, providing validation of the technology and potential non-dilutive funding
Risks to watch — STAA
- →China regulatory and economic risk — STAAR's significant China revenue exposure creates sensitivity to regulatory changes, economic slowdowns, and U.S.-China trade tensions affecting medical device imports
- →LASIK and PRK competitive pressure from price competition — LASIK remains the most widely performed refractive surgery globally; LASIK improvements (SMILE procedure) and price competition may limit EVO ICL's market expansion pace
- →Myopia correction market competition from orthokeratology and low-dose atropine — non-surgical myopia management (specialty contact lenses, atropine eye drops) for children may reduce the pool of high-myopia adults seeking ICL surgery over time
Risks to watch — BEAM
- →All clinical programs are early-stage with regulatory approval still years away — Beam is pre-revenue with Phase 1/2 clinical trials underway; FDA approval for any program is likely 4-7+ years away; the company needs substantial funding to reach approval
- →Competition from CRISPR (Casgevy, approved for sickle cell) and prime editing — Vertex/CRISPR Therapeutics received the first CRISPR gene editing drug approval for sickle cell in 2023; Beam must demonstrate that base editing offers sufficient advantages over approved CRISPR therapies to justify adoption
- →Cash burn and financing requirements — Beam burns $200M+ annually on R&D; multiple rounds of equity financing are required to fund clinical development; shareholder dilution is substantial
Frequently asked questions
Free public comparison
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.
Related comparisons
More comparisons
Browse all 1,000 comparisons →