The company maintains a conservative capital structure with a stable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24x and a healthy current ratio of 2.20 as of 2026Q1.
| Total Current Assets | 6.66B | 6.45B | 6.31B | 5.65B | 5.19B | 5.39B | 4.99B | 4.24B | 3.4B | 3.29B | 3.02B | 2.97B |
| Cash & Short-Term Investments | 1.67B | 1.61B | 1.83B | 1.1B | 980M | 1.58B | 1.57B | 855M | 258M | 172M | 162M | 285M |
| Cash Only | 1.59B | 1.53B | 1.68B | 1.09B | 980M | 1.57B | 1.56B | 822M | 227M | 172M | 162M | 285M |
| Short-Term Investments | 81.44M | 80M | 154M | 7M | 0 | 3M | 12M | 33M | 31M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Accounts Receivable | 2.02B | 1.94B | 2.08B | 1.89B | 1.99B | 1.59B | 1.47B | 1.51B | 1.41B | 1.52B | 1.4B | 1.4B |
| Days Sales Outstanding | 68.25 | 68.15 | 76.68 | 72.81 | 83.28 | 70.13 | 78.42 | 73.51 | 71.74 | 81.58 | 77.64 | 78.29 |
| Inventory | 2.45B | 2.39B | 2.27B | 2.32B | 2.11B | 1.9B | 1.64B | 1.5B | 1.44B | 1.3B | 1.21B | 1.15B |
| Days Inventory Outstanding | 185.04 | 187.44 | 188.18 | 201.41 | 193.95 | 190.47 | 154.14 | 142.83 | 132.69 | 132.55 | 126.41 | 123.54 |
| Other Current Assets | 515.8M | 509M | 12M | 226M | 8M | 224M | 213M | 275M | 249M | 237M | 200M | 99M |
| Total Non-Current Assets | 25.14B | 25.11B | 24.04B | 23.97B | 24.02B | 22.61B | 22.61B | 23.42B | 23.66B | 24.1B | 24.72B | 25.23B |
| Property, Plant & Equipment | 5.25B | 5.22B | 4.84B | 4.72B | 4.42B | 4.08B | 3.78B | 3.44B | 2.88B | 2.56B | 2.29B | 2.15B |
| Fixed Asset Turnover | 2.05x | 1.99x | 2.05x | 2.00x | 1.97x | 2.03x | 1.81x | 2.18x | 2.48x | 2.65x | 2.88x | 3.03x |
| Goodwill | 9.31B | 9.26B | 8.95B | 8.93B | 8.97B | 8.9B | 8.9B | 8.9B | 8.9B | 8.89B | 8.89B | 8.86B |
| Intangible Assets | 8.93B | 9.01B | 8.59B | 9.06B | 9.69B | 8.77B | 9.1B | 10.23B | 10.68B | 11.54B | 12.37B | 12.95B |
| Long-Term Investments | 3.07B | 768M | 751M | 319M | 108M | 52M | 40M | 59M | 86M | 51M | 258M | 332M |
| Other Non-Current Assets | 378.05M | 855M | 495M | 496M | 422M | 399M | 389M | 433M | 450M | 528M | 269M | 336M |
| Total Assets | 31.79B | 31.55B | 30.35B | 29.61B | 29.21B | 28B | 27.6B | 27.66B | 27.06B | 27.39B | 27.74B | 28.2B |
| Asset Turnover | 0.34x | 0.33x | 0.33x | 0.32x | 0.30x | 0.30x | 0.25x | 0.27x | 0.26x | 0.25x | 0.24x | 0.23x |
| Asset Growth % | 15.84% | 3.98% | 2.48% | 1.39% | 4.32% | 1.45% | -0.2% | 2.19% | -1.19% | -1.27% | -1.64% | - |
| Total Current Liabilities | 3.02B | 3.05B | 2.28B | 2.4B | 2.74B | 2.47B | 2.26B | 2.3B | 1.89B | 1.78B | 1.67B | 1.64B |
| Accounts Payable | 924.01M | 926M | 773M | 811M | 861M | 903M | 876M | 833M | 663M | 672M | 607M | 493M |
| Days Payables Outstanding | 69.66 | 72.59 | 64.14 | 70.35 | 79.18 | 90.57 | 82.13 | 79.05 | 61.09 | 68.36 | 63.57 | 53.01 |
| Short-Term Debt | 660.58M | 575M | 101M | 48M | 97M | 107M | 169M | 261M | 47M | 65M | 170M | 218M |
| Deferred Revenue (Current) | 0 | 0 | 72.84M | 77.97M | 89M | 108M | 110M | 97M | 94M | 138M | 156M | 171M |
| Other Current Liabilities | 1.23B | 1.47B | 539.16M | 627.03M | 907M | 586M | 532M | 559M | 490M | 417M | 231M | 276M |
| Current Ratio | 2.20x | 2.12x | 2.77x | 2.35x | 1.90x | 2.18x | 2.21x | 1.84x | 1.80x | 1.85x | 1.81x | 1.81x |
| Quick Ratio | 1.39x | 1.33x | 1.77x | 1.39x | 1.13x | 1.41x | 1.48x | 1.19x | 1.03x | 1.12x | 1.09x | 1.11x |
| Cash Conversion Cycle | 183.63 | 183 | 200.72 | 203.87 | 198.05 | 170.03 | 150.42 | 137.28 | 143.34 | 145.77 | 140.48 | 148.82 |
| Total Non-Current Liabilities | 6.52B | 6.47B | 6.52B | 6.59B | 6.75B | 6.27B | 6.52B | 6.05B | 2.53B | 2.58B | 3.06B | 2.92B |
| Long-Term Debt | 4.18B | 4.16B | 4.54B | 4.68B | 4.54B | 3.97B | 3.95B | 3.22B | 1.83B | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Capital Lease Obligations | 1.75B | 429M | 429M | 335M | 359M | 339M | 315M | 280M | 89M | 84M | 79M | 75M |
| Deferred Tax Liabilities | 2.72B | 0 | 724M | 797M | 1.06B | 1.03B | 1.2B | 1.39B | 1.53B | 1.64B | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Current Liabilities | 938.08M | 1.88B | 739M | 752M | 786M | 940M | 1.06B | 1.17B | -918M | 857M | 2.98B | 2.85B |
| Total Liabilities | 9.54B | 9.52B | 8.79B | 8.99B | 9.53B | 8.74B | 8.78B | 8.35B | 4.42B | 4.36B | 4.73B | 4.57B |
| Total Debt | 5.29B | 5.25B | 5.14B | 5.13B | 5.07B | 4.48B | 4.5B | 3.8B | 136M | 149M | 249M | 302M |
| Net Debt | 3.7B | 3.72B | 3.45B | 4.04B | 4.09B | 2.9B | 2.94B | 2.98B | -91M | -23M | 87M | 2M |
| Debt / Equity | 0.24x | 0.24x | 0.24x | 0.25x | 0.26x | 0.23x | 0.24x | 0.20x | 0.01x | 0.01x | 0.01x | 0.01x |
| Debt / EBITDA | 2.44x | 2.06x | 1.94x | 2.27x | 2.77x | 2.49x | 3.62x | 2.98x | 0.10x | 0.12x | 0.20x | 0.19x |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.71x | 1.46x | 1.31x | 1.79x | 2.23x | 1.61x | 2.37x | 2.34x | -0.07x | -0.02x | 0.07x | 0.00x |
| Interest Coverage | 8.23x | - | 7.78x | 5.40x | 4.46x | 4.48x | -4.12x | -1.53x | -11.50x | -3.74x | -2.73x | 20.50x |
| Total Equity | 22.25B | 22.04B | 21.55B | 20.62B | 19.68B | 19.26B | 18.82B | 19.3B | 22.64B | 23.03B | 23.01B | 23.64B |
| Equity Growth % | 12.14% | 2.24% | 4.5% | 4.81% | 2.19% | 2.31% | -2.49% | -14.74% | -1.69% | 0.07% | -2.64% | - |
| Book Value per Share | 45.40 | 44.41 | 43.32 | 41.54 | 39.80 | 39.03 | 38.49 | 39.54 | 46.32 | 47.12 | 47.09 | 48.37 |
| Total Shareholders' Equity | 22.25B | 22.03B | 21.55B | 20.62B | 19.68B | 19.26B | 18.82B | 19.3B | 22.64B | 23.03B | 23.01B | 23.64B |
| Common Stock | 20.11M | 20M | 20M | 20M | 20M | 20M | 20M | 20M | 22.64B | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Retained Earnings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -547M | 22.65B | 22.94B | 23.17B | 23.81B |
| Treasury Stock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Accumulated OCI | 22.23B | 22.01B | 21.53B | 20.6B | 19.66B | 19.24B | 18.8B | 19.28B | -11M | 87M | -154M | -173M |
| Minority Interest | 1.01M | 1M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Intangible asset valuation risk
According to recent quarterly balance sheet data, Alcon has grown its total assets from $29.6 billion in 2023Q4 to $31.8 billion by 2026Q1, reflecting a consistent, measured expansion that suggests the company is successfully scaling its infrastructure to support long-term surgical and vision care market demand.
The steady increase in total assets appears to be driven by ongoing capital investment in surgical platforms and manufacturing capacity. This trajectory indicates a stable business model that is not overly reliant on aggressive, debt-fueled expansion, but rather on incremental growth within its core ophthalmic segments.
As reported in financial statements, goodwill accounts for approximately $9.3 billion of Alcon's $31.8 billion total asset base as of 2026Q1, highlighting a business model that relies heavily on the value of acquired intellectual property and brand equity rather than purely tangible manufacturing assets.
The significant concentration of goodwill warrants close monitoring, as it suggests that a large portion of the company's book value is sensitive to future impairment testing. Investors should consider whether the current carrying value of these intangibles remains supported by the long-term cash flow generation of the acquired surgical and pharmaceutical portfolios.
Based on the provided figures, Alcon has maintained a current ratio consistently above 2.0x over the last ten quarters, with the 2026Q1 ratio of 2.20 indicating a comfortable liquidity cushion to meet short-term obligations despite the inherent lumpiness of surgical equipment sales cycles.
This liquidity profile suggests the company is well-positioned to navigate potential working capital volatility or supply chain disruptions without needing to tap into external financing. The consistent maintenance of these ratios provides a defensive buffer that supports the company's ability to fund ongoing R&D and strategic initiatives.
As indicated by the reported debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24x across the last ten quarters, Alcon maintains a conservative capital structure, which appears to provide the firm with significant financial flexibility to pursue inorganic growth opportunities while minimizing interest rate sensitivity in its core operations.
The stability of this leverage metric suggests that management is prioritizing a disciplined approach to capital allocation, avoiding excessive debt burdens despite the capital-intensive nature of medical device manufacturing. This conservative stance may be viewed as a strategic advantage in an environment where financing costs remain a variable for competitors.
Analysis of the balance sheet reveals that the reported $0 in retained earnings over the last ten quarters is a notable anomaly, suggesting that accounting adjustments or spin-off legacy structures may be obscuring the true cumulative profitability and equity composition of the standalone entity.
This lack of retained earnings growth warrants further investigation, as it may mask the underlying quality of earnings or reflect significant non-cash charges related to the 2019 spin-off. Investors should be cautious when interpreting equity growth, as it may not be driven by organic profit retention.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying ALC stock.
As of 2025, Alcon Inc. (ALC) had total assets of $31.55B including $6.45B in current assets.
Alcon Inc. (ALC) carries total debt of $5.25B, offset by $1.61B in cash and short-term investments. Comparing total debt to cash helps evaluate the company's debt burden and net leverage.
Alcon Inc. (ALC) has total shareholders' equity (book value) of $22.03B ($44.41 book value per share). Book value represents the net worth of the company belonging to common stock holders.
Alcon Inc. (ALC) reported a current ratio of 2.12x. A current ratio above 1.0x indicates that the company has more current assets than current liabilities, suggesting sufficient short-term liquidity.