Alcon Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Alcon Inc (ALC) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Alcon Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 10,401M vs 173,477M combined for tracked competitors (5.7% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+300.0% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs holding steady (+0.6%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Alcon Inc generated 4.9% revenue growth year over year in Q4 2025, vs 7.1% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 9.4% net margin compares with 15.9% for the peer group.
- Scale: Alcon Inc ranks #10 of 247 companies by market capitalization in the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry, holding 2.9% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Alcon Inc accounted for 19.3% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 19.6% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.42M compares with $0.51M for the peer group (0.8x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
ALC Sales vs. its Competitors, Q4 2025
Alcon Inc reported revenue growth of 4.94 % year on year in Q4 2025, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 7.09 %.
With a net margin of 9.42 %, Alcon Inc reported lower profitability than its competitors (15.92 %).
Alcon Inc generated 19.25 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 19.57 % a year earlier.
Alcon Inc vs. its Competitors, Q4 2025
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Alcon Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Alcon inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (19) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (7) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Alcon Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry grew revenue 15.0% year over year, combined, vs 4.9% for Alcon Inc. Alcon Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 9.76% to 8.90%, a loss of 0.85 percentage points.
Alcon Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcon inc | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Competitors combined (19) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (20) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
ALC Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
ALC Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
ALC Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
ALC Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sight Sciences Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Glaukos Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Johnson and Johnson | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Bausch and Lomb Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Alcon Inc's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Alcon Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Alcon inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Alcon inc | 32,382.01 | 10,401.00 |
| Johnson and Johnson | 663,585.20 | 97,929.00 |
| Abbott Laboratories | 176,419.43 | 45,134.00 |
| West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | 26,783.84 | 3,326.90 |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | 10,940.64 | 4,236.60 |
| Masimo Corp | 9,465.37 | 1,557.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 945,642.20 | 183,878.27 |
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Sources: Alcon inc's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Alcon inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Alcon Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Glaukos Corp | Named by the company | 85% |
| Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Skye Bioscience Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Escalon Medical Corp | Named by the company | 85% |
| Bausch Health Companies Inc. | Named by the company | 85% |
| Dentsply Sirona Inc. | Named by the company | 85% |
| Hoya Corporation | Named by the company | 85% |
| One Stop Systems Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Staar Surgical Co | Named by the company | 85% |
| Agilent Technologies Inc. | Named by the company | 85% |
| Biogen Inc. | Named by the company | 85% |
| Fresenius Medical Care | Named by the company | 85% |
| Spyglass Pharma Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Baxter International Inc. | Named by the company | 85% |
| Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | Named by the company | 85% |
| Clearside Biomedical Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Align Technology Inc. | Named by the company | 85% |
| Boston Scientific | Named by the company | 85% |
| Givaudan | Named by the company | 85% |
| Oculis Holding Ag | Named by the company | 85% |
| Becton Dickinson & Company | Named by the company | 85% |
| EssilorLuxottica | Named by the company | 85% |
| Koninklijke Philips Nv | Named by the company | 85% |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Hyperion Defi inc | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Alcon Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Alcon Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Johnson and Johnson | Oncology 29.26 % |
| Abbott Laboratories | Diabetes Care 17.78 % |
| West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | Proprietary Products 82.84 % |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | CooperVision 67.93 % |
| Masimo Corp | Health Care 99.95 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Alcon Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcon inc | 32,382 | 416,040 | 39,200 |
| Johnson and Johnson | 663,585 | 695,518 | 149,411 |
| Abbott Laboratories | 176,419 | 392,470 | 54,574 |
| West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | 26,784 | 308,046 | 52,306 |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | 10,941 | 282,440 | 38,020 |
| Masimo Corp | 9,465 | 707,727 | 34,682 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 913,260 | 513,751 | 81,113 |
Alcon Inc's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Johnson and Johnson | United States 57.42 % |
| Abbott Laboratories | Non-US 61.62 % |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | United States 50.22 % |
| Glaukos Corp | US 79.06 % |
| Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc | United States 78.12 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Alcon Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 222 companies in Alcon Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Alcon Inc ranks #10 of 222 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 2.94 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 589, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intuitive Surgical Inc | 148,204 | 13.47 % |
| 2 | Medtronic Plc | 115,016 | 10.45 % |
| 3 | Stryker Corp | 106,270 | 9.66 % |
| 4 | 3m Company | 88,536 | 8.05 % |
| 5 | Boston Scientific Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Becton Dickinson And Company | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Dexcom Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Resmed Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Alcon inc | 32,382 | 2.94 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Alcon Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-28.
Alcon Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Boston Scientific Corporation | 65,053 | -55.55 % |
| 6 | Becton Dickinson And Company | 50,582 | 31.17 % |
| 7 | Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | 50,153 | 14.07 % |
| 8 | Dexcom Inc | 33,814 | 26.93 % |
| 9 | Resmed Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 10 | Alcon inc | 32,382 | -11.59 % |
| 11 | Medline Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 12 | West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 13 | Steris Plc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 14 | Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 15 | Solventum Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Alcon Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-28. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Alcon Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (288 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 55.24 % | 53.35 % (avg) | +1.9 pp |
| Operating Margin | 13.08 % | industry median | +22.9 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 13.11 % | -6.82 % (avg) | +19.9 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 5.22 % | 5.43 % (avg) | -0.2 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Alcon Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry average (288 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Medical Equipment & Supplies industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 38.9x | 34.6x | +4.3x |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.9x | 19.7x | +10.3x |
| P/B | 1.7x | 4.7x | -3.0x |
| Return on Equity | 4.45 % | industry aggregate | -3.98 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 2.71 % | -2.32 % (avg) | 5.03 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Alcon Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 8.47 % | 4.82 % | 4.94 % |
| Operating Margin | 10.99 % | 14.26 % | 13.08 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 2.17 % | 2.92 % | 2.71 % |
| P/E | 37.7x | 44.0x | 38.9x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Alcon Inc's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Alcon Inc's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Alcon Inc is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Alcon Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Alcon Inc's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Alcon Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.22x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 9.2% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Alcon Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 589 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Moderate, in line with the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 5.22 % vs industry average 5.43 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Alcon Inc's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Alcon Inc's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Alcon Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Alcon Inc falls in the Low attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Alcon Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Operating margin 22.9 points above the industry median.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+300.0% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.22x).
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Alcon Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcon inc | 0.50 | 2.12 | 0.19 |
| Johnson and Johnson | 0.37 | 1.05 | 0.60 |
| Abbott Laboratories | 0.47 | 1.60 | 0.35 |
| West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | 0.91 | 2.85 | 0.07 |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | 0.09 | 1.49 | 0.30 |
| Masimo Corp | 0.45 | 2.48 | 0.63 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Alcon Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcon inc | Q4 2025 | +4.9 % | -3.7 % |
| Johnson and Johnson | Q2 2026 | +6.6 % | -0.1 % |
| Abbott Laboratories | Q1 2026 | +7.8 % | -18.7 % |
| West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | Q2 2026 | +13.9 % | +16.8 % |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | Q2 2026 | +0.6 % | +340.3 % |
| Masimo Corp | Q1 2026 | +8.3 % | - |
| PEERS TOTAL | +7.1 % | +6.2 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Alcon Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcon inc | Q4 2025 | +6.1 % | +14.8 % |
| Johnson and Johnson | Q2 2026 | +5.5 % | +26.7 % |
| Abbott Laboratories | Q1 2026 | +9.4 % | -17.6 % |
| West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | Q2 2026 | +10.4 % | -42.6 % |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | Q2 2026 | -3.7 % | -29.1 % |
| Masimo Corp | Q1 2026 | +10.1 % | +29.3 % |
Alcon Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcon inc | 3.11% | 3.47% | 4.45% |
| Johnson and Johnson | 10.60% | 13.30% | 25.74% |
| Abbott Laboratories | 6.87% | 8.15% | 12.09% |
| West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | 13.64% | 15.29% | 18.51% |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | 4.57% | 5.09% | 6.90% |
| Masimo Corp | 4.04% | 5.17% | 9.08% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Alcon Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Alcon inc | 32.96 | 3.11 |
| Johnson and Johnson | 31.48 | 6.78 |
| Abbott Laboratories | 28.13 | 3.91 |
| West Pharmaceutical Services Inc | 48.10 | 8.05 |
| The Cooper Companies Inc | 19.37 | 2.58 |
| Masimo Corp | 124.10 | 6.08 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 33.33 | 5.14 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.