Stock Analysis
Alcon Inc. Ordinary SharesALC
P/E 32.64×· 5Y range 30.59–125.45×· bottom 3% of history
Sector: Healthcare
AnalystsStrong Buy22 analystsP/E 32.6× sits at the 3rd percentile of its 5.089664613278576-year history.
Cash covers 27% of debt · FY 2025.
PMP Verdict
Strong business, attractive price
Strengths
- Quality90
- Growth87
Risks
- Profitability35
High-quality business at an attractive price.
Bull Case
- ✓Interest coverage 27.4× — debt well covered
- ✓P/E 32.6× at bottom 3% of 5-year history
What's happening with ALC
Profile
Strong earnings quality, growth and financial health; profitability lags behind.
How is each axis scored?
- Valuation70/100 · Moderate
- P/E vs own history (3th pct)25/25
- FCF yield (5.4%)20/25
- P/S (3.1x)20/25
- EV/EBIT (28.2x)5/25
- Growth87/100 · Strong
- Revenue CAGR (5.8%)12/25
- Net income CAGR (27.1%)25/25
- EPS CAGR 5Y (27.5%)25/25
- Fwd implied growth (89.5%)25/25
- Profitability35/100 · Weak
- ROIC (4.0%)5/25
- ROE (4.5%)5/25
- Net margin (9.4%)13/25
- Operating margin (12.2%)12/25
- Financial Health80/100 · Strong
- Altman Z (2.63)18/25
- Current ratio (2.09)25/25
- Interest coverage (27.4x)25/25
- Net cash / debt (D/A 12%)12/25
- Quality90/100 · Strong
- Piotroski F (6/9)15/25
- Beneish M (-2.68)25/25
- FCF conversion (178%)25/25
- Margin stability (σ 1.4%)25/25
- Moat62/100 · Moderate
- ROIC >12% years (0/5 yrs)0/25
- Median gross margin (55.6%)25/25
- FCF-positive years (5/5 yrs)25/25
- Worst-year net margin (worst 3.8%)12/25
About Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares
Alcon is one of the leading visioncare companies in the world. Show more
Following nine years as a Novartis subsidiary, it was spun off as a public company in April 2019. Alcon operates in two segments: visioncare and surgical. Visioncare comprises contact lenses, lenscare solutions, and a suite of ocular health products. With brands like Dailies, Total1, and Air Optix, Alcon controls about one fourth of the US contact lens market. Surgical comprises intraocular lenses, ophthalmic surgical equipment, and consumables used during surgeries. Its main products include Centurion, a phacoemulsification device used during cataract surgeries, and a portfolio of IOLs including PanOptix and Vivity. Alcon has one of the largest installed bases of eye surgical equipment in the world.
Employees: 25,942 · Website ↗
Price History
Weekly Candlestick Chart — up to 5Y
Key Metrics
Financial snapshot · Tap any metric for its definition and grade
TTM Snapshot
trailing twelve months · YoYValuation
70B+P/E (TTM)32.7xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice / TTM EPS (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 30.6x–125.4x · 3rd pct
P/FCF20.2xB
Grade B: FairPrice / Free Cash Flow per share (Finnhub). Inverse of FCF yield — negative when FCF is negative
FCF Yield5.4%A
Grade A: ValueTTM (OCF − CapEx) / Market Cap — vs own 5Y history: 0.2%–5.8% · 97th pct
P/S (TTM)3.08xB
Grade B: FairPrice / TTM Revenue (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 2.9x–5.3x · 3rd pct
EV/EBIT28.2xD
Grade D: ExpensiveEnterprise value / TTM EBIT (D&A not in our data) — capital-structure neutral — vs own 5Y history: 26.5x–58.0x · 3rd pct
EV/Sales3.3xB
Grade B: FairEnterprise Value / TTM Revenue (Finnhub) — capital-structure neutral sales multiple
Forward P/E17.3xB
Grade B: FairPrice / next-year EPS estimate — shows whether the TTM multiple is rich or just front-loading growth
P/B Ratio1.48xA
Grade A: FairPrice to Book Value. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
PEG Ratio3.82D
Grade D: ExpensiveFinnhub PEG — their P/E basis ÷ expected EPS growth. Suppressed when their P/E diverges >2× from our TTM P/E (different basis)
Dividend Yield0.54%A
Grade A: PaysTTM dividend yield (Finnhub) — annual dividends / price. None = no dividend; very high yield can signal distress
Payout Ratio94.3%D
Grade D: UnsustainableDividends / Net Income (Finnhub) — share of earnings paid out; >90% or negative = unsustainable
Profitability
35DROIC4.0%D
Grade D: LowNOPAT (EBIT less ~21% tax) / invested capital (equity + debt − cash). Flagship quality metric — durable >15% signals a moat
ROE4.5%D
Grade D: WeakReturn on Equity. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
ROA2.0%D
Grade D: WeakReturn on Assets (Finnhub) — Net Income / Total Assets; how efficiently assets produce profit
Net Margin9.4%C
Grade C: AverageNet Income / Revenue
Operating Margin12.2%C
Grade C: AverageTTM EBIT / TTM Revenue
Gross Margin55.7%A
Grade A: PremiumGross Profit / Revenue
FCF Margin16.7%A
Grade A: HighFCF / Revenue
True FCF Margin15.1%A
Grade A: HighTTM (OCF − CapEx − SBC) / TTM Revenue — SBC treated as a real cost
Growth
87ARevenue CAGR5.8%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual revenue growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
Net Income CAGR27.1%A
Grade A: HighCompound annual net income growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
EPS CAGR (5Y)27.5%A
Grade A: HighCompound annual EPS growth over up to 5Y of per-share earnings (own statements). Null when either endpoint EPS ≤ 0
Implied EPS Growth89.5%A
Grade A: HighAnalyst forward EPS (normalized basis) vs our GAAP TTM EPS — different bases, so extreme values usually mark cyclically depressed TTM earnings, not real growth
Dilution (5Y)—
Share count change over 5Y
SBC / Net Income17.6%C
Grade C: MedStock-based comp/Net income. >30% = dilution risk
SBC / Revenue1.7%A
Grade A: LowTTM stock-based comp / TTM Revenue
Financial Health
80AAltman Z-Score2.63C
Grade C: Gray zoneBankruptcy risk. >3 Safe, <1.8 Distress
Current Ratio2.09xA
Grade A: HighCurrent Assets/Liabilities
Quick Ratio1.30xA
Grade A: High(Current Assets − Inventory) / Current Liabilities (Finnhub) — stricter liquidity test, excludes inventory
Interest Coverage27.4xA
Grade A: StrongEBIT/Interest. >10 Strong
Debt Repayment2.2yA
Grade A: FastYears to repay net debt via FCF
Net Debt/EBIT3.0xC
Grade C: MedLeverage. <2x Low, >4x High
Debt/Equity0.25xA
Grade A: LowDebt / Equity: <1 Conservative, >2 Risky. Not meaningful with non-positive equity; shown as unavailable rather than low debt.
Cash / Debt0.27xD
Grade D: ThinCash covers how much of total debt. >1 = could repay all debt from cash
Quality
90A+Piotroski F-Score6/9C
Grade C: AverageFinancial strength 0–9. >7 Strong
Beneish M-Score-2.68A
Grade A: SafeEarnings manipulation risk. < -2.22 Safe
FCF Conversion177.6%A
Grade A: StrongFCF / Net Income
Margin Stability1.4%A
Grade A: StableEBIT margin std deviation. Lower = stable
Capex / Revenue5.5%C
Grade C: AverageTTM CapEx / TTM Revenue — high % = capital-hungry business
Asset Turnover0.35xD
Grade D: LowRevenue / Total Assets (Finnhub) — how efficiently the asset base generates sales
More metrics — Moat, Per Share, Balance Sheet, MarketHide additional metrics
Moat
62BROIC >12% Years0/5 yrsD
Grade D: WeakShare of completed fiscal years with ROIC > 12% — measures multi-year capital-return durability
Gross Margin (Med.)55.6%A
Grade A: DurableMedian annual gross margin across available fiscal years — pricing-power durability
FCF-Positive Years5/5 yrsA
Grade A: DurableShare of completed fiscal years with positive free cash flow
Net Margin Floor3.8%C
Grade C: ModerateWeakest annual net margin across completed fiscal years — recession/downcycle resilience
Per Share
EPS (TTM)$2.03
Own TTM net income / shares — same earnings basis as P/E
Cash / Share$2.99
Cash & short-term investments per share (Finnhub)
Book Value / Share$44.31
Shareholders' equity per share (Finnhub). Negative = accumulated losses / heavy buybacks
Balance Sheet
Total Debt$5.30B
Total debt obligations (short + long term)
Cash & Equiv.$1.46B
Cash and short-term investments
Net Debt$3.84B
Total Debt minus Cash. Negative = Net Cash position
Total Equity$21.60B
Shareholders' equity (book value)
Asset / Liability3.27xA
Grade A: SolidTotal Assets / Total Liabilities
Market
Market Cap$32.04B
Current Market Capitalization
Beta1.10B
Grade B: MarketPrice sensitivity vs the market (Finnhub) — 1.0 moves with market, >1.2 amplifies swings
How grades work: each metric is graded A–D against fixed thresholds (tap a row for the meaning). Card grades map the pillar score to A+–E — a card grade is that pillar's own score, not an average of the rows shown.
Financials as of Dec 2025 · Ratio snapshot Oct 17, 2026
Key Insights: Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares (ALC)
ALC is down 0.60% at the last close. Piotroski F-Score of 6/9 indicates mixed fundamentals for Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares. Altman Z-Score of 2.63 falls in the grey zone (1.81–2.99) — financial distress is unlikely but not ruled out. Beneish M-Score of -2.68 suggests a low likelihood of earnings manipulation.
- Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares converts about 17% of revenue into free cash flow — strong cash generation.
- Takes ~2.2 years to repay net debt from free cash flow.
- At a valuation score of 70/100, ALC trades near the cheapest end of its own historical range (P/E 32.7).
See how ALC ranks on the Capex Tracker — top 50 capital spenders compared.
Recent Market Moves
See all ALC moves →| Date | Session | Price | Move | Z-Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15 | Regular | 66.58 | +4.24% | 4.13 |
| Oct 15 | After-hours | 66.58 | +4.24% | 4.13 |
Frequently Asked Questions about ALC
What is the current Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares (ALC) stock price?
ALC is trading at $66.18 at the last market close, down 0.60% on the session. PreMarketPrice tracks ALC pre-market, intraday and after-hours prices.
Is ALC stock a buy right now?
PreMarketPrice's quantitative model rates Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares's financial health at 80/100. This is a data-driven snapshot of fundamentals, not investment advice.
Is ALC stock overvalued?
Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares trades at a trailing P/E of 32.7 and our valuation score rates it 70/100 (higher = cheaper vs. its own history). See the Valuation History and Key Metrics sections for forward P/E, EV/EBITDA and PEG context.
When does Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares report earnings?
No confirmed earnings date is currently scheduled for ALC. The Earnings section lists recent reports and updates as dates are announced.
What sector does Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares operate in?
Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares operates in the Healthcare sector. The Related Stocks section lists sector peers for comparison.
What does Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares do?
Alcon is one of the leading visioncare companies in the world.
About Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares (ALC) Stock
Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares (ALC) is a US-listed stock operating in the Healthcare sector. As of the latest update, Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares is trading at $66.18, down 0.60% on the day with a market capitalization of $32.0 billion. The financial health score for ALC is 80/100, which indicates excellent financial strength based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, and growth metrics. This page provides real-time pre-market pricing, earnings calendar, financial health analysis, and valuation metrics for ALC stock.
ALC Stock Analysis & Key Metrics
On PreMarketPrice, you can track Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares (ALC) across multiple dimensions:
- Pre-market price & movement: Real-time ALC stock price with percentage change, updated continuously during pre-market and regular trading hours.
- Valuation & P/E history: Historical P/E, P/S, and P/B ratios for ALC with trend analysis and normalized valuation multiples.
- Financial statements: Revenue, net income, assets, liabilities, and equity for Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares across multiple reporting periods.
- Financial health score: A composite score of 80/100 based on Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score, profitability, and leverage metrics for ALC.
- Sector peers: Compare ALC against 4 other healthcare stocks on key financial metrics.
Is ALC a Good Stock to Buy?
This page provides data-driven analysis to help you evaluate Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares (ALC) as an investment. The financial health score of 80/100 suggests excellent financial fundamentals. Valuation metrics show whether the stock is trading above or below its historical average.However, this is not financial advice — always do your own research before investing.
Data on this page is sourced from real-time market feeds, Polygon.io, and Finnhub.Alcon Inc. Ordinary Shares (ALC) trades on NYSE/NASDAQ. Pre-market trading occurs 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET. Regular market hours are 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET.