Aug 20 (Reuters) - Shares in Alcon fell as much

as 11.6% on Wednesday after the Swiss-American eye care group

cut its 2025 sales outlook late on Tuesday flagging the impact

of U.S. tariffs.

The company now forecasts a full-year gross tariff

impact of around $100 million from $80 million previously. It

said it expects to offset that through operational changes and

foreign exchange movements.

The company also lowered its projected net sales range to

$10.3 to $10.4 billion from $10.4 to $10.5 billion forecasted in

May.

The U.S. tariff rate of 39% on goods from Switzerland is

higher than it is with nearly any other Western trading partner.

Alcon posted a 4% rise in its second-quarter sales to $2.58

billion, missing analysts' average forecast of $2.63 billion,

according to LSEG data.

Revenues at its surgical implantables business fell 2%

to $456 million during the period. It said demand for its

surgical products was relatively weak due to competitive

pressures and soft market conditions.

"Eye specialists are holding back on equipment

investments due to market uncertainty and the knowledge that

Alcon is launching new devices," Vontobel analyst Sibylle

Bischofberger said.

Alcon has launched several products in the U.S. this

year, including Tryptyr, a neuromodulator eye drop for dry eye

disease, and PanOptix Pro, a next-generation intraocular lens

for cataract surgery.

Alcon reported an operating margin of 9.6% in the second

quarter, below last year's 12.8%.