Alcon grew sales faster than 2 of its 4 similar companies.
Alcon in 30 seconds
GoodSo-soWeak
So-so
Are sales growing?
+4.9%
Only a little. Sales grew 4.9% last year.
So-so
Does it make a profit?
9.4%
A little. It keeps 9.4% of every sale as profit.
Good
Does profit turn into cash?
16.6%
Yes. 16.6% of sales ends up as free cash.
So-so
How healthy are the accounts?
6 / 9
Mixed. It passes 6 of 9 health tests.
Rules of thumb on reported numbers. A starting point, not a recommendation.
Key numbers, fiscal 2025
Market cap
Last close times the latest diluted share count, so it is approximate.
$34.8B
Oct 23 close
P/E
Last close divided by diluted earnings per share over the last four quarters.
β
About these figures.Alcon is a foreign company: it files an annual report on Form 20-F, prepared under international accounting standards (IFRS), instead of a 10-K, and no quarterly reports, so this page has fiscal years only. Its shares trade in the US as American depositary shares (ADSs), and one ADS can stand for several ordinary shares, so per-share figures are per ordinary share and the page has no market value, P/E or valuation model.
1
Sales and profit
Is it selling more, and how much does it keep?
Results dates
In plain words: Every quarter, companies publish how much they sold and earned. These are the days Alcon did it, and the next one. Share prices often move a lot on those days.
From SEC filings: the results press release (8-K) or, without one, the quarterly or annual report.
Revenue and margins
KIRAΒ· Alcon had $10.4B of revenue in fiscal 2025, up 4.9% on the year before. Over five years, revenue changed +8.8% a year on average. Its operating margin was 13.1%, down 1.2Β pts: of every 100 in sales, about 13 is left after running the business.
In plain words: Revenue is all the money customers paid. The margins show how many cents of each dollar of sales are left over at each step: after making the product (gross), after running the business (operating) and after everything, tax included (net).
Revenue
0$5B$10B$15B
FY10
Revenue $7.2B
FY17
Revenue $6.8B
FY18
Revenue $7.2B
FY19
Revenue $7.5B
FY20
Revenue $6.8B
FY21
Revenue $8.3B
FY22
Revenue $8.7B
FY23
Revenue $9.5B
FY24
Revenue $9.9B
FY25
Revenue $10.4B
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Margins, % of revenue
β25%025%50%75%100%
FY10
Gross 76.7%
Operating 34.5%
Net 30.8%
FCF 28.8%
FY17
Gross 47.2%
Operating β1.1%
Net 3.8%
FCF 11.8%
FY18
Gross 44.6%
Operating β3.5%
Net β3.2%
FCF 8.6%
FY19
Gross 48.8%
Operating β2.5%
Net β8.7%
FCF 4.9%
FY20
Gross 43.0%
Operating β7.1%
Net β7.8%
FCF 5.0%
FY21
Gross 56.1%
Operating 7.0%
Net 4.5%
FCF 7.8%
FY22
Gross 54.5%
Operating 7.7%
Net 3.8%
FCF 6.7%
FY23
Gross 55.5%
Operating 11.0%
Net 10.3%
FCF 7.7%
FY24
Gross 55.6%
Operating 14.3%
Net 10.3%
FCF 16.2%
FY25
Gross 55.2%
Operating 13.1%
Net 9.4%
FCF 16.6%
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
GrossOperatingNetFCF
Net income and earnings per share
KIRAΒ· Alcon made $980M of net profit in fiscal 2025. From fiscal 2010 to 2025, diluted EPS grew β13.5% a year.
Loss periods are shown in red.
In plain words: Net income is the profit left after every cost and tax. Earnings per share (EPS) splits that profit across every share, so it shows what one share earned.
Net income
β$1B0$1B$2B$3B
FY10
Net income $2.2B
FY17
Net income $256M
FY18
Net income β$227M
FY19
Net income β$656M
FY20
Net income β$531M
FY21
Net income $376M
FY22
Net income $335M
FY23
Net income $974M
FY24
Net income $1.0B
FY25
Net income $980M
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Diluted EPS
β$2.500$2.50$5.00$7.50
FY10
Diluted EPS $7.27
FY17
Diluted EPS $0.52
FY18
Diluted EPS β$0.46
FY19
Diluted EPS β$1.34
FY20
Diluted EPS β$1.09
FY21
Diluted EPS $0.76
FY22
Diluted EPS $0.68
FY23
Diluted EPS $1.96
FY24
Diluted EPS $2.05
FY25
Diluted EPS $1.98
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
2
Cash and shareholders
How much cash comes in, and where does it go?
Cash flow
KIRAΒ· Free cash flow was $1.7B in fiscal 2025, 16.6% of revenue.
Cash from operations minus capital spending.
In plain words: Profit on paper is not the same as cash in the bank. Free cash flow is the cash left after paying to run and maintain the business: the money it can hand back to shareholders, save or invest.
Free cash flow
0$1B$2B$3B
FY10
Free cash flow $2.1B
FY17
Free cash flow $803M
FY18
Free cash flow $616M
FY19
Free cash flow $367M
FY20
Free cash flow $344M
FY21
Free cash flow $645M
FY22
Free cash flow $581M
FY23
Free cash flow $730M
FY24
Free cash flow $1.6B
FY25
Free cash flow $1.7B
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Cash from operations vs capital spending
0$1.0B$2.0B$3.0B
FY10
Cash from operations $2.4B
Capital spending $309M
FY17
Cash from operations $1.2B
Capital spending $415M
FY18
Cash from operations $1.1B
Capital spending $524M
FY19
Cash from operations $920M
Capital spending $553M
FY20
Cash from operations $823M
Capital spending $479M
FY21
Cash from operations $1.3B
Capital spending $700M
FY22
Cash from operations $1.2B
Capital spending $636M
FY23
Cash from operations $1.4B
Capital spending $658M
FY24
Cash from operations $2.1B
Capital spending $473M
FY25
Cash from operations $2.3B
Capital spending $543M
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Cash from operationsCapital spending
Dividends, buybacks and share count
KIRAΒ· Alcon returned $842M to shareholders in fiscal 2025, 49% of free cash flow. The diluted share count fell 0.3%.
In plain words: Companies hand cash back in two ways: dividends (cash paid to shareholders) and buybacks (buying back their own shares, so each remaining share owns a bigger slice).
Dividends and buybacks
0$500M$1B$2B
FY10
Dividends $1.0B
Buybacks $33.0M
FY17
Dividends $0.0M
Buybacks $0.0M
FY18
Dividends $0.0M
Buybacks $0.0M
FY19
Dividends $0.0M
Buybacks $0.0M
FY20
Dividends $0.0M
Buybacks $0.0M
FY21
Dividends $54.0M
Buybacks $0.0M
FY22
Dividends $100M
Buybacks $0.0M
FY23
Dividends $116M
Buybacks $0.0M
FY24
Dividends $130M
Buybacks $0.0M
FY25
Dividends $166M
Buybacks $676M
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
DividendsBuybacks
Diluted shares outstanding (annual)
00.20B0.40B0.60B
FY10
Diluted shares 0.30B
FY17
Diluted shares 0.49B
FY18
Diluted shares 0.49B
FY19
Diluted shares 0.49B
FY20
Diluted shares 0.49B
FY21
Diluted shares 0.49B
FY22
Diluted shares 0.49B
FY23
Diluted shares 0.50B
FY24
Diluted shares 0.50B
FY25
Diluted shares 0.50B
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Insider trades
KIRAΒ· No open-market insider trades in the last 12 months.
Open-market purchases and sales by officers, directors and 10% owners, from Form 4 filings. βPlanβ marks trades under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.
In plain words: Insiders are the people who run or own a big part of the company. Buying with their own money can signal confidence; selling often has personal reasons, like taxes or diversifying.
Bought, 12 months
$0.0M
0 insiders
Sold, 12 months
$0.0M
0 insiders
Of sales under plans
β
$0.0M
No open-market insider trades in the last 12 months.
3
Financial health
Can it carry its debts, and how well does it use its money?
Balance sheet
KIRAΒ· Alcon owes $3.2B more than it holds in cash.
Cash, debt and the ratios that show how comfortably Alcon can carry it.
In plain words: What the company owns and what it owes. More cash than debt is a cushion for bad times; a lot of debt leaves less room when business slows down.
Cash vs debt (incl. leases)
0$2.0B$4.0B$6.0B
FY10
Cash $3.4B
Debt $399M
FY17
Cash β
Debt β
FY18
Cash $227M
Debt $47.0M
FY19
Cash $822M
Debt $3.5B
FY20
Cash $1.6B
Debt $4.1B
FY21
Cash $1.6B
Debt $4.1B
FY22
Cash $980M
Debt $4.6B
FY23
Cash $1.1B
Debt $4.7B
FY24
Cash $1.7B
Debt $4.6B
FY25
Cash $1.5B
Debt $4.7B
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
CashDebt
Fiscal year end
FY21
FY22
FY23
FY24
FY25
Cash and short-term investments
$1.6B
$980M
$1.1B
$1.7B
$1.5B
Debt incl. finance leases
$4.1B
$4.6B
$4.7B
$4.6B
$4.7B
Debt / equity
0.2x
0.2x
0.2x
0.2x
0.2x
Interest coverage
4.8x
5.0x
5.5x
7.4x
6.7x
Current ratio
2.2x
1.9x
2.4x
2.8x
2.1x
Quick ratio
1.4x
1.1x
1.4x
1.8x
1.3x
Total assets
$28.0B
$29.2B
$29.6B
$30.3B
$31.6B
Total liabilities
$8.7B
$9.5B
$9.0B
$8.8B
$9.5B
Shareholders' equity
$19.3B
$19.7B
$20.6B
$21.6B
$22.0B
Net debt (β = net cash)
$2.5B
$3.7B
$3.6B
$3.0B
$3.2B
Returns on capital
KIRAΒ· Its return on capital was 4.6%: every 100 invested in the business earned about 5 in a year.
After-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash.
In plain words: How much profit the business makes on the money put into it. A higher percentage means each dollar invested works harder.
Return on capital, equity and assets (annual)
β20%020%40%60%
FY10
Return on capital 59.2%
Return on equity 33.6%
Return on assets 23.6%
FY17
Return on capital β
Return on equity β
Return on assets β
FY18
Return on capital β
Return on equity β
Return on assets β
FY19
Return on capital β0.7%
Return on equity β3.1%
Return on assets β2.4%
FY20
Return on capital β1.8%
Return on equity β2.8%
Return on assets β1.9%
FY21
Return on capital 2.4%
Return on equity 2.0%
Return on assets 1.4%
FY22
Return on capital 2.2%
Return on equity 1.7%
Return on assets 1.2%
FY23
Return on capital 4.4%
Return on equity 4.8%
Return on assets 3.3%
FY24
Return on capital 4.7%
Return on equity 4.8%
Return on assets 3.4%
FY25
Return on capital 4.6%
Return on equity 4.5%
Return on assets 3.2%
FY10FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Return on capitalReturn on equityReturn on assets
Piotroski F-score
KIRAΒ· Alcon passes 6 of 9 financial health tests (Piotroski F-score).
Nine pass/fail tests of profitability, funding and efficiency. 8β9 is strong, 0β2 weak.
In plain words: Nine yes/no tests of financial health, one point each. A green tick is a pass: 7 to 9 points is solid, 0 to 3 is weak.
Test
FY23
FY24
FY25
Net income is positive
β
β
β
Cash from operations is positive
β
β
β
Return on assets rose
β
β
β
Cash from operations exceeds net income
β
β
β
Debt fell relative to assets
β
β
β
Current ratio rose
β
β
β
Share count didn't rise
β
β
β
Gross margin rose
β
β
β
Revenue rose relative to assets
β
β
β
F-score
8 / 9
8 / 9
6 / 9
Accruals ratio
β1.4%
β3.5%
β4.2%
Altman Z''
β
β
β
4
Price and value
What does the share cost, and how does it compare?
Similar companies
KIRAΒ· Alcon grew sales faster than 2 of its 4 similar companies.
Each companyβs latest fiscal year. Fiscal years end in different months, so periods donβt line up exactly.
In plain words: The same numbers for similar companies, so you can tell whether a figure is high or low for this kind of business.
Source: SEC EDGAR XBRL filings (CIK 0001167379). Data updated October 23, 2026. Quarterly fourth quarters are the full year minus the first nine months.
For information only β not investment advice. Check the original filings before relying on any figure.