MAKING EYES AT COOPER.

COOPER Cos. Inc.; BAUSCH & Lomb Inc.

The article focuses on contact-lens maker Cooper Cos. Hovering near their 52-week high of 51; Cooper's shares are primed to hit even higher levels. So says investment professional Dennison Veru of Palisades Capital Management, who thinks Cooper might well be swallowed by one of its larger rivals. The stock's strong rise reflects several favorable developments. Disposable color contact lenses make up 60% of the entire cosmetic lens market-and are growing rapidly. Cosmetic lenses are dominated by Ciba-Geigy. Major contact-lens makers Bausch & Lomb and J&J are not yet players in cosmetic lenses. It is believed that J&J will make a move on Cooper instead. Veru figures Cooper is worth 65 to 70 a share to a strategic buyer.