=============================================================================== SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 24, 2001 THE COOPER COMPANIES, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 1-8597 94-2657368 (State or other jurisdiction (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer of incorporation) Identification No.) 6140 Stoneridge Mall Road, Suite 590, Pleasanton, California 94588 (Address of principal executive offices) (925) 460-3600 (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) ================================================================================
ITEM 5. Other Events. On April 24, 2001, The Cooper Companies, Inc. issued a press release commenting on the Wesley Jessen lawsuit and reiterating earnings guidance for 2001. This release is filed as an exhibit hereto and is incorporated by reference herein. Any Internet addresses provided in this release are for information purposes only and are not intended to be hyperlinks. Accordingly, no information in any of these Internet addresses is included herein. ITEM 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits. (c) Exhibits. Exhibit No. Description - ------- ----------- 99.1 Press Release dated April 24, 2001 of The Cooper Companies, Inc.
SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. THE COOPER COMPANIES, INC. By /s/ Stephen C. Whiteford ------------------------ Stephen C. Whiteford Vice President and Corporate Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) Dated: April 25, 2001
EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit Sequentially No. Description Numbered Page - ------- ----------- ------------- 99.1 Press Release dated April 24, 2001 of The Cooper Companies, Inc.
[The Cooper Companies -- Letterhead] NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Norris Battin The Cooper Companies, Inc. ir@coopercompanies.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE COOPER COMPANIES COMMENTS ON WESLEY JESSEN SUIT REITERATES MOST RECENT GUIDANCE FOR 2001 LAKE FOREST, Calif., April 24, 2001 -- The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE: COO) said today it will defend vigorously the lawsuit filed in California yesterday by Wesley Jessen, a CIBA Vision Company, alleging infringement of patent rights on colored contact lens technology. Cooper has thoroughly studied the various patents associated with its cosmetic product and is confident that its color lens does not infringe on the valid patent rights of any third party. Cooper believes that CIBA's claims are without merit. Consistent with recent guidance, Cooper estimates that earnings per share from continuing operations for its second fiscal quarter ending April 30, 2001 will range from 56 cents to 58 cents and between $2.36 and $2.42 for fiscal 2001. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the information included in this news release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements regarding anticipated growth in our revenue, anticipated market conditions and results of operations. To identify forward-looking statements look for words like "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "estimates" or "anticipates" and similar words or phrases. Discussions of strategy, plans or intentions often contain forward-looking statements. These, and all forward-looking statements, necessarily depend on assumptions, data or methods that may be incorrect or imprecise.
Events, among others, that could cause actual results and future actions to differ materially from those described by or contemplated in forward-looking statements include major changes in business conditions, a major disruption or other production issues at our manufacturing facilities, new competitors or technologies, the impact of an undetected virus on our computer systems, acquisition integration delays or costs, foreign currency exchange exposure, investments in research and development and other start-up projects, dilution to earnings per share from acquisitions or issuing stock, regulatory issues, significant environmental cleanup costs above those already accrued, litigation costs including any related settlements, costs of business divestitures, the requirement to provide for a significant liability or to write off a significant asset, changes in accounting principles or estimates, and other factors described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the "Business" section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2000. We caution investors not to rely on forward-looking statements. They reflect our analysis only on their stated date or the date of this news release. We disclaim any intent to update these forward-looking statements. Internet Addresses The Internet addresses in this release are for informational purposes only and not intended for use as hyperlinks. Nothing in any of these addresses is a part of this news release. The Cooper Companies, Inc. and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market specialty healthcare products. CooperVision, Inc., headquartered in Lake Forest, Calif., with manufacturing facilities in Huntington Beach, Calif., Rochester, N.Y., Toronto, Canada and Hamble, England, markets a broad range of contact lenses for the vision care market. Its Web site is www.coopervision.com. CooperSurgical, Inc., headquartered in Shelton, Conn., markets diagnostic products, surgical instruments and accessories for the gynecological market. Its Web site is www.coopersurgical.com. The Company's corporate offices are located in Lake Forest and Pleasanton, Calif. A toll free interactive telephone system at 1-800-334-1986 provides stock quotes, recent press releases and financial data. The Cooper Companies Web address is www.coopercos.com. ### Page 2