Latest Ratios: P/E Ratio 33.8x · EV/EBITDA 14.2x · ROE 4.5%. (2015–2025 historical series)
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $32.6B | $39.1B | $42.2B | $38.8B | $33.9B | $43.0B | $32.3B | $27.6B | — | — | — |
| Enterprise Value | $36.3B | $42.8B | $45.7B | $42.8B | $38.0B | $45.9B | $35.2B | $30.6B | — | — | — |
| P/E Ratio → | 33.77 | 39.80 | 41.41 | 39.86 | 100.81 | 114.63 | — | — | — | — | — |
| P/S Ratio | 3.13 | 3.76 | 4.26 | 4.10 | 3.89 | 5.18 | 4.72 | 3.68 | — | — | — |
| P/B Ratio | 1.51 | 1.77 | 1.96 | 1.88 | 1.72 | 2.23 | 1.71 | 1.43 | — | — | — |
| P/FCF | 18.86 | 22.63 | 30.02 | 72.23 | 71.80 | 260.52 | 126.03 | 113.19 | — | — | — |
| P/OCF | 14.35 | 17.22 | 20.33 | 27.94 | 27.85 | 31.96 | 39.20 | 30.02 | — | — | — |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 4.12 | 4.61 | 4.53 | 4.36 | 5.53 | 5.15 | 4.08 | — | — | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.23 | 16.79 | 17.30 | 18.95 | 20.73 | 25.47 | 28.36 | 23.99 | — | — | — |
| EV / EBIT | 26.70 | 36.92 | 31.55 | 41.95 | 61.60 | 85.11 | — | — | — | — | — |
| EV / FCF | — | 24.78 | 32.47 | 79.75 | 80.46 | 278.12 | 137.51 | 125.41 | — | — | — |
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 55.2% | 55.2% | 55.6% | 55.5% | 54.5% | 56.1% | 43.0% | 48.8% | 44.6% | 47.2% | 47.2% |
| Operating Margin | 13.1% | 13.1% | 14.3% | 11.0% | 7.7% | 7.0% | -7.1% | -2.5% | -3.5% | -1.1% | 0.2% |
| Net Profit Margin | 9.4% | 9.4% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 3.8% | 4.5% | -7.8% | -8.7% | -3.2% | 3.8% | -2.6% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1.7% | 2.0% | -2.8% | -3.1% | -1.0% | 1.1% | -0.7% |
| ROA | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% | -1.9% | -2.4% | -0.8% | 0.9% | -0.6% |
| ROIC | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.3% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 2.0% | -1.6% | -0.6% | -0.8% | -0.3% | 0.0% |
| ROCE | 4.8% | 4.8% | 5.1% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.3% | -1.9% | -0.7% | -1.0% | -0.3% | 0.0% |
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.20 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 2.06 | 2.06 | 1.94 | 2.27 | 2.77 | 2.49 | 3.62 | 2.98 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.20 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.17 | 0.16 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.15 | -0.00 | -0.00 | 0.00 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.46 | 1.46 | 1.31 | 1.79 | 2.23 | 1.61 | 2.37 | 2.34 | -0.07 | -0.02 | 0.07 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 2.15 | 2.45 | 7.53 | 8.66 | 17.60 | 11.48 | 12.22 | -0.21 | -0.03 | 0.12 |
| Interest Coverage | — | — | 7.78 | 5.40 | 4.46 | 4.48 | -4.12 | -1.53 | -11.50 | -3.74 | -2.73 |
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 2.12 | 2.12 | 2.77 | 2.35 | 1.90 | 2.18 | 2.21 | 1.84 | 1.80 | 1.85 | 1.81 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.33 | 1.33 | 1.77 | 1.39 | 1.13 | 1.41 | 1.48 | 1.19 | 1.03 | 1.12 | 1.09 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.53 | 0.53 | 0.80 | 0.46 | 0.36 | 0.64 | 0.69 | 0.37 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.25 | 0.27 | 0.26 | 0.25 | 0.24 |
| Inventory Turnover | 1.95 | 1.95 | 1.94 | 1.81 | 1.88 | 1.92 | 2.37 | 2.56 | 2.75 | 2.75 | 2.89 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 68.15 | 76.68 | 72.81 | 83.28 | 70.13 | 78.42 | 73.51 | 71.74 | 81.58 | 77.64 |
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.1% | — | — | — | — | — |
| Payout Ratio | 16.9% | 16.9% | 12.8% | 11.9% | 30.8% | 14.4% | — | — | — | — | — |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 3.0% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 1.0% | 0.9% | — | — | — | — | — |
| FCF Yield | 5.3% | 4.4% | 3.3% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.9% | — | — | — |
| Buyback Yield | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 2.7% | 2.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $496M | $498M | $497M | $494M | $493M | $489M | $488M | $489M | $489M | $489M |
Operating margin volatility
Based on current market data, Alcon trades at a forward P/E of 20.23x, which appears to command a scarcity premium relative to broader med-tech peers, suggesting investors are pricing in the durability of its recurring surgical consumable revenue stream despite recent volatility in reported net income margins.
The valuation multiple implies a market expectation of sustained mid-single-digit growth, yet the disconnect between TTM P/E of 34.24x and forward estimates suggests analysts anticipate significant earnings expansion. Investors should monitor whether the company can justify this premium through consistent margin improvement rather than relying on the current, somewhat elevated, valuation floor.
According to recent financial disclosures, Alcon’s ROIC has hovered near 1% over the last ten quarters, a figure that appears structurally suppressed by the significant amortization of intangible assets and goodwill resulting from the 2019 Novartis spin-off, rather than reflecting poor underlying operational capital allocation.
The low ROIC relative to peers like IDEXX Laboratories suggests that the company is still in a phase of absorbing the accounting costs of its independence. Future compounding of returns will likely depend on the firm's ability to drive higher throughput on its installed surgical base without requiring proportional increases in invested capital.
As reported in quarterly filings, Alcon’s cash conversion cycle has remained elevated, averaging approximately 190 days over the last ten quarters, which appears driven by a high days-inventory-outstanding metric that warrants further investigation into potential obsolescence risks within the company's extensive global surgical and vision care SKU portfolio.
The persistent length of the cash conversion cycle suggests that Alcon carries a heavy inventory burden to ensure service levels for its surgical consoles. This operational reality may be limiting the company's ability to optimize free cash flow, as capital remains tied up in slow-moving components and finished goods.
Based on reported figures, Alcon maintains a current ratio consistently above 2.0x, providing a robust liquidity buffer that appears sufficient to navigate the lumpy nature of surgical equipment sales and potential supply chain disruptions in the precision optics manufacturing segment, as evidenced by the 2026Q1 ratio of 2.20.
The company's ability to maintain this liquidity profile while simultaneously funding strategic acquisitions like Aerie Pharmaceuticals suggests a disciplined approach to balance sheet management. This financial cushion is essential given the high fixed-cost structure and the necessity of maintaining a global regulatory and technical support footprint.
The most commonly misapplied metric for Alcon is the trailing P/E ratio, which fails to account for the significant non-cash amortization charges stemming from the 2019 spin-off, thereby obscuring the company's true earning power and leading to an inaccurate assessment of its valuation relative to peers.
Investors should prioritize EV/EBITDA or adjusted earnings metrics that normalize for these legacy accounting distortions. Relying on GAAP P/E ratios likely leads to an overestimation of the company's valuation risk, as the reported earnings do not fully capture the cash-generative nature of the recurring consumable business model.
Includes 30+ ratios · 11 years · Updated daily
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Quick answers to the most common questions about buying ALC stock.
Alcon Inc.'s current P/E ratio is 33.8x. The historical average is 67.3x.
Alcon Inc.'s current EV/EBITDA is 14.2x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 21.7x.
Alcon Inc.'s return on equity (ROE) is 4.5%. The historical average is 1.1%.
Based on historical data, Alcon Inc. is trading at a P/E of 33.8x. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
Alcon Inc.'s current dividend yield is 0.50% with a payout ratio of 16.9%.
Alcon Inc. has 55.2% gross margin and 13.1% operating margin. Operating margin between 10-20% is typical for established companies.
Alcon Inc.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 2.1x, indicating moderate leverage. A ratio between 2-4x is manageable but warrants monitoring.