Alcon AG logo

Alcon AG(ALC)

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ADVISORIES YOU CAN VERIFY
QUALITY SIGNAL
1-STAR RATING
PASS
LAST CLOSE
$64.47
09/25/2026
(24-hour delay)

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*as per simulation (see disclosures)
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Upturn Advisory & Investor View for ALC

09/25/2026: ALC (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.

Alcon AG is a global leader in eye care, operating as a pure-play medical device company with two primary segments: surgical equipment and vision care. The firm has a leading position in the cataract and contact lens markets, benefiting from durable demand driven by an aging global population and recurring revenue from consumables. Its primary growth opportunity lies in the continued adoption of premium surgical technologies and recent expansion into ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. However, risks include intense competition from industry giants and sensitivity to elective procedure volumes. The stock may best suit investors seeking a specialized, defensive healthcare play, with key developments to monitor including product innovation success and surgical procedure trends.

How to Read the Upturn Advisory

The Upturn Star Rating and the current BUY, SELL, or PASS advisory are generated by Upturn’s AI advisory engine based on proprietary signal analysis, price behavior, advisory history, and historical signal performance.

Company fundamentals, valuation, risks, and news provide supporting context about the business.

Investor Fit

Investor styleFitWhy
Growth investorStrong fitAlcon provides steady growth through the aging demographic and surgical innovation trend.
Momentum investorMixed fitMomentum depends on market sentiment regarding elective surgery volume and innovation success.
Value investorMixed fitThe stock often commands a premium multiple consistent with its high-quality medical franchise.
Dividend investorMixed fitAlcon offers a modest dividend, though not typically chosen as a high-yield income play.
Low-risk investorStrong fit while signal remains positiveThe medical device sector is generally considered defensive, providing stable demand even in volatile markets.

Risk Profile

Risk factorLevelWhy it matters
Price volatilityMediumBroader market conditions and elective surgery trends can lead to short-term stock price fluctuations.
Valuation riskMediumInvestors should monitor if the premium valuation accurately reflects future growth potential.
Competition risk (Medical Device)Medium / highConstant pressure from JNJ and other innovators requires continuous R&D success to maintain market share.
Business qualityStrongAlcon maintains a deep moat through its established installed base of surgical equipment and brand loyalty.
Dividend incomeLowDividends are reliable but represent a secondary part of total return compared to capital growth.
Execution riskMediumSuccess depends on the effective rollout of new surgical systems and maintaining supply chain stability.

Price Behavior

Downtrend
PRICE PATH

Downtrend

The stock has experienced a sustained decline in price over recent periods.

Moderately Choppy
PRICE STABILITY

Moderately Choppy

The stock has experienced noticeable price swings while retaining some directional structure.

Analysis of Past Performance

Type Stock
Historic Profit -28.56%
Avg. Invested days 36
Today’s Advisory PASS
Upturn Advisory Rating upturn star rating icon
Upturn Advisory Performance Upturn Advisory Performance icon 2.0
Stock Returns Performance Upturn Returns Performance icon 1.0
Upturn Profits based on simulation icon Profits based on simulation
Upturn last close icon Last Close 09/25/2026

Upturn Scorecard

Upturn Star Rating

★★★★★
ALC receives a 4-star rating, supported by solid company fundamentals, solid quantitative characteristics, and strong analyst coverage. The rating is constrained by weak price momentum.

Company Fundamentals

★★★★★
ALC has solid overall fundamentals (4 stars), with solid financial health, moderate growth momentum, and solid ownership. In FY2025 versus FY2024, strong cash generation (FCF margin 15.5%) is partially offset by slightly negative earnings growth (-3.7%), moderate revenue growth (+4.9%), soft profitability (net margin 9.4%).

Financial Health Rating

★★★★★
ALC's financial health is supported by strong cash strength, including free-cash-flow generation of $1.6B (15.5% of revenue). Profitability is moderate (3 stars), which helps explain the 4-star overall score.

Growth Momentum Score

★★★★★
Free-cash-flow growth is ALC's strongest growth driver at +14.3% FY2025 versus FY2024 (solid, 4 stars). By comparison, while earnings growth (-3.7%, slightly negative) holds the profile back, so recent growth is not broad-based across the business.

Ownership

★★★★★
Institutional ownership is 63.7% and approximately 99.7% of outstanding shares are publicly tradable, supporting liquidity and institutional participation. Insider ownership is only 0.20%, which materially reduces the ownership score.

Top 5 Institutional Investors

Bank of New York Mellon Corp 3.24%
Vanguard Capital Management, LLC 3.08%
FMR Inc 2.57%
NORGES BANK 2.27%
Aristotle Capital Management LLC 2.01%

Unit Economics (Per $1K Revenue)

★★★★★
ALC generates approximately $552 of gross profit, $131 of operating income, and $155 of free cash flow for every $1,000 of revenue. Based on FY2025 results. Strong cash conversion and healthy margins support the rating, although capital efficiency remains below the highest tier.

Economic Dimensions

★★★★★
Effective Tax Rate: 15.52%

Quantitative Style Profile

★★★★★
ALC has a large-cap, liquid, relatively low-volatility profile. Weak momentum is the primary drawback, while valuation that is moderately attractive rather than deeply discounted.

Style Classification

Quality Focused

Low VolatilityLarge / Mega Cap StabilityHighly Liquid / Institution-Friendly

Key Highlights

Company Size Large-Cap Stock
Market Capitalization 31.16B USD
Price to earnings Ratio 49.21
1Y Target Price 84.45
Price to earnings Ratio 49.21
1Y Target Price 84.45
Volume (30-day avg) 1.5M shares
Beta 0.7
52 Weeks Range 61.84 - 87.22
Updated Date 09/27/2026
52 Weeks Range 61.84 - 87.22
Updated Date 09/27/2026
Dividends yield (FY) 0.56%
Basic EPS (TTM) 1.31

How Company Makes Money

Business areaWhat it includesRetail investor read
SurgicalCataract equipment (Centurion), IOLs (PanOptix), and vitreoretinal tools.Selling the machines and the disposable parts used in eye surgeries provides a steady, high-margin revenue stream.
Vision CareDailies Total1 lenses and lens care solutions.This is a recurring, consumer-driven business that benefits from long-term brand loyalty.
GeographyGlobal sales across North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.A balanced global presence helps buffer the company against regional economic weaknesses.

Analyzing Revenue: Products, Geography and Growth

Revenue by Geography

Geography revenue - Year on Year

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Valuation

Trailing PE 49.21
Forward PE 16.23
Enterprise Value 35.65B
Price to Sales(TTM) 2.87
Enterprise Value 35.65B
Price to Sales(TTM) 2.87
Enterprise Value to Revenue 3.28
Enterprise Value to EBITDA 13.07
Shares Outstanding 483.40M
Shares Floating 481.83M
Shares Outstanding 483.40M
Shares Floating 481.83M
Percent Insiders 0.2
Percent Institutions 63.74

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Financial Metrics

🧭 Investment Snapshot

Total Revenue (Scale)

Information icon Total money earned from selling products or services before any costs. It is needed to understand the scale of the business and its ability to generate income.

Net Income (Profit)

Information icon Final profit after all expenses, interest, and taxes are deducted. It is needed to determine the overall profitability available to shareholders.

Free Cash Flow (Cash Strength)

Information icon Cash remaining after operating activities and capital expenditures, showing cash available for growth. It is needed to evaluate the company’s ability to invest, pay dividends, or reduce debt.

📈 Growth & Strength

Operating Income (Core Profit)

Information icon Profit from core operations after deducting all operating expenses. It is needed to measure how efficiently the company runs its primary business activities.

EBITDA (Cash Earnings)

Information icon Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, indicating operating cash potential. It is needed to compare operating performance across companies without accounting or financing differences.

Gross Profit (Unit Profitability)

Information icon Revenue minus cost of revenue, showing profit after direct production costs. It is needed to evaluate core business profitability before overhead expenses.

🛡️ Financial Safety

Cash (Liquidity Buffer)

Information icon Total cash and cash equivalents on hand. It is needed to evaluate immediate liquidity and financial flexibility.

Total Debt (Leverage Risk)

Information icon Total debt including both short-term and long-term components. It is needed to assess the company’s leverage and financial risk.

Net Working Capital (Short-Term Health)

Information icon Current assets minus current liabilities, indicating short-term liquidity strength. It is needed to assess whether the company can meet its short-term obligations.

🧱 Balance Sheet Strength

Stockholder Equity (Net Worth)

Information icon Total equity value held by shareholders. It is needed to understand the net worth of the company from the owners’ perspective.

Total Assets (Asset Base)

Information icon The full value of everything the company owns, including cash, inventory, equipment, and investments. It is needed to understand the resource base used to generate revenue.

Income Before Tax (Pre-Tax Earnings)

Information icon Income before provision for income taxes. It is needed to analyze profitability independent of tax structures.

⚙️ Cost & Drag Factors

Cost of Revenue (Production Cost)

Information icon Direct costs required to produce and deliver the products or services sold. It is needed to assess efficiency in production and service delivery.

Total Operating Expenses (Operating Cost)

Information icon Indirect costs of running the business such as salaries, marketing, and administration. It is needed to understand how much it costs to sustain ongoing business operations.

Income Tax Expense (Tax Drag)

Information icon Amount of taxes paid or payable to the government. It is needed to evaluate the impact of taxation on overall profitability.

About Alcon AG

Exchange NYSE
Headquarters -
IPO Launch date 2019-04-09
CEO & Director Mr. David J. Endicott
Sector Healthcare
Industry Medical Instruments & Supplies
Full time employees 25000
Full time employees 25000

Alcon Inc. researches, develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells eye care products worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Surgical and Vision Care. It offers equipment, instrumentation and diagnostics, intraocular lenses (IOLs), and other implantables; and consumables, including viscoelastics, surgical solutions, incisional instruments, surgical custom packs, and other products for surgical procedures. The company's cataract products include Unity CS, LenSx laser system, Verion reference unit and Verion digital marker, ARGOS biometer, SMARTCATARACT health platform, NGENUITY 3D visualization system, LuxOR surgical ophthalmic microscope, and ORA system for intra-operative measurements; ADI cloud-based platform; and implantable products, including monofocal, Toric, and Presbyopia-Correcting IOLs, as well as delivery systems, such as AutonoMe and UltraSert. In addition, it provides Custom Pak surgical procedure packs vitreoretinal products comprising constellation vision systems, procedure packs, lasers and hand-held microsurgical instruments, Grieshaber, MIVS instruments; scissors, forceps and micro-instruments, medical grade vitreous tamponades, and Hypervit probes; and refractive surgery products, including WaveLight and Contoura Vision used for LASIK refractive procedure. Further, the company offers daily disposable, reusable, and color-enhancing contact lenses; ocular health products, such as dry eye, ocular allergies, glaucoma, and contact lens care, as well as ocular vitamins and redness relievers. The company was formerly known as Alcon Universal S.A. and changed its name to Alcon Inc. in December 2001. Alcon Inc. was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.