ESTA vs INMD vs AEYE vs STAA

For growth investors, Establishment Labs Holdings Inc.

(ESTA) is the stronger pick with 27. 1% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -23. 7% for STAAR Surgical Company (STAA). InMode Ltd. (INMD) offers the better valuation at 9. 8x trailing P/E (10. 3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Establishment Labs Holdings Inc. (ESTA) a "Buy" — based on 14 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On forward P/E, InMode Ltd.

is actually cheaper at 10. 3x.

Over the past 5 years, Establishment Labs Holdings Inc.

(ESTA) delivered a total return of +5. 2%, compared to -76. 1% for STAAR Surgical Company (STAA). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: STAA returned +265. 6% versus AEYE's +96. 5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), STAAR Surgical Company (STAA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

49β versus AudioEye, Inc. 's 2. 18β — meaning AEYE is approximately 343% more volatile than STAA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, InMode Ltd. (INMD) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 11% for Establishment Labs Holdings Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Establishment Labs Holdings Inc.

(ESTA) is pulling ahead at 27. 1% versus -23. 7% for STAAR Surgical Company (STAA). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Establishment Labs Holdings Inc. grew EPS 42. 7% year-over-year, compared to -295. 1% for STAAR Surgical Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, AEYE leads at 10. 5% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

InMode Ltd.

(INMD) is the more profitable company, earning 25. 3% net margin versus -33. 6% for STAAR Surgical Company — meaning it keeps 25. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: INMD leads at 23. 0% versus -19. 2% for STAA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — INMD leads at 78. 5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, InMode Ltd.

(INMD) trades at 10. 3x forward P/E versus 68. 6x for STAAR Surgical Company — 58. 3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for INMD: 21. 8% to $17. 00.

None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend.

All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, STAAR Surgical Company (STAA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

49), +265. 6% 10Y return). AudioEye, Inc. (AEYE) carries a higher beta of 2. 18 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (STAA: +265. 6%, AEYE: +96. 5%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (ESTA (Healthcare) and INMD (Healthcare) and AEYE (Technology) and STAA (Healthcare)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: ESTA is a small-cap high-growth stock; INMD is a small-cap deep-value stock; AEYE is a small-cap quality compounder stock; STAA is a small-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.