ISS Advises Staar Surgical Shareholders to Vote for Alcon Takeover Bid in Updated Recommendation

08:19 AM EST, 12/16/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Institutional Shareholder Services, or ISS, is now recommending that Staar Surgical shareholders vote in favor of Alcon's (ALC.SW) improved takeover proposal for the US-based ophthalmic surgery-focused company. The proxy advisory firm said "uncertainties about valuation are now outweighed by the combination of more acute downside risks and improved terms" under Alcon's recently amended merger agreement, according to a Monday release. As a result, Staar's board called on shareholders to follow ISS' revised recommendation and vote for the deal at the company's stockholders' meeting set for Friday. Earlier in December, the Swiss eye care products company raised its offer to acquire Staar to $30.75 per share in cash from the previous $28 per share, for a total equity value of $1.6 billion.