ALC vs. COR: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ALC and COR, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ALC’s market capitalization stands at 43.42 billion USD, while COR’s is 57.42 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
With betas of 0.70 for ALC and 0.57 for COR, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | ALC | COR |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Alcon Inc. | Cencora, Inc. |
| Country | CH | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical - Instruments & Supplies | Medical - Distribution |
| CEO | David J. Endicott | Robert P. Mauch PharmD |
| Price | 87.78 USD | 296.23 USD |
| Market Cap | 43.42 billion USD | 57.42 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.70 | 0.57 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | April 9, 2019 | April 4, 1995 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ALC and COR by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ALC
6.95%
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 26.65%
- Q3
- 13.00%
- Median
- 1.08%
- Q1
- -8.11%
- Min
- -38.20%
ALC’s Return on Equity of 6.95% is on par with the norm for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
COR
240.99%
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 12.20%
- Q3
- 12.03%
- Median
- -50.14%
- Q1
- -62.68%
- Min
- -132.73%
COR’s Return on Equity of 240.99% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Medical - Distribution industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Return on Invested Capital
ALC
4.39%
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 20.14%
- Q3
- 7.36%
- Median
- 1.97%
- Q1
- -6.22%
- Min
- -20.00%
ALC’s Return on Invested Capital of 4.39% is in line with the norm for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
COR
10.23%
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 26.59%
- Q3
- 11.51%
- Median
- 7.70%
- Q1
- -0.02%
- Min
- -5.86%
COR’s Return on Invested Capital of 10.23% is in line with the norm for the Medical - Distribution industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
Net Profit Margin
ALC
11.27%
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 28.95%
- Q3
- 11.24%
- Median
- -2.83%
- Q1
- -12.85%
- Min
- -26.41%
A Net Profit Margin of 11.27% places ALC in the upper quartile for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
COR
0.55%
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 3.21%
- Q3
- 2.07%
- Median
- 0.70%
- Q1
- -1.43%
- Min
- -6.29%
COR’s Net Profit Margin of 0.55% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Medical - Distribution industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
ALC
15.22%
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 32.10%
- Q3
- 16.03%
- Median
- 2.28%
- Q1
- -7.96%
- Min
- -26.84%
ALC’s Operating Profit Margin of 15.22% is around the midpoint for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
COR
0.83%
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 5.22%
- Q3
- 3.23%
- Median
- 1.07%
- Q1
- -0.39%
- Min
- -4.51%
COR’s Operating Profit Margin of 0.83% is around the midpoint for the Medical - Distribution industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | COR |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 6.95% | 240.99% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.61% | 2.38% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 4.39% | 10.23% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 11.27% | 0.55% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 15.22% | 0.83% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 55.55% | 3.29% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ALC
2.70
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.79
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.64
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- 1.10
ALC’s Current Ratio of 2.70 aligns with the median group of the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
COR
0.87
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 1.38
- Q3
- 1.26
- Median
- 1.13
- Q1
- 0.92
- Min
- 0.87
COR’s Current Ratio of 0.87 falls into the lower quartile for the Medical - Distribution industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ALC
0.24
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 1.46
- Q3
- 0.74
- Median
- 0.41
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.03
ALC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.24 is typical for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
COR
7.76
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 0.97
- Q3
- 0.97
- Median
- 0.65
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.03
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 7.76, COR operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Medical - Distribution industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ALC
7.72
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 25.04
- Q3
- 8.80
- Median
- 3.66
- Q1
- -3.85
- Min
- -11.93
ALC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.72 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
COR
9.41
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 25.45
- Q3
- 12.43
- Median
- 7.07
- Q1
- 1.82
- Min
- -1.21
COR’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.41 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Medical - Distribution industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | COR |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 2.70 | 0.87 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.66 | 0.52 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.24 | 7.76 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.17 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.54 | 1.60 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.72 | 9.41 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ALC and COR. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ALC
0.38%
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.02%
- Q3
- 0.38%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 0.38%, ALC offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
COR
0.73%
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 1.21%
- Q3
- 0.56%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 0.73%, COR offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Distribution industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ALC
11.23%
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 76.77%
- Q3
- 11.37%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ALC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 11.23% is within the typical range for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
COR
25.13%
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 31.84%
- Q3
- 21.47%
- Median
- 5.24%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
COR’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 25.13% is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Distribution industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | COR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.38% | 0.73% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 11.23% | 25.13% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ALC
38.80
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 45.65
- Q3
- 44.10
- Median
- 35.47
- Q1
- 29.60
- Min
- 21.65
ALC’s P/E Ratio of 38.80 is within the middle range for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
COR
33.90
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 34.27
- Q3
- 27.58
- Median
- 25.75
- Q1
- 22.28
- Min
- 18.73
A P/E Ratio of 33.90 places COR in the upper quartile for the Medical - Distribution industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ALC
2.54
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 5.80
- Q3
- 3.68
- Median
- 2.56
- Q1
- 1.87
- Min
- 0.22
ALC’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.54 is within the middle range of its peers in the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
COR
3.36
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 3.40
- Q3
- 2.79
- Median
- 2.36
- Q1
- 2.08
- Min
- 1.94
A Forward PEG Ratio of 3.36 places COR in the upper quartile for the Medical - Distribution industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ALC
4.37
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 12.87
- Q3
- 6.95
- Median
- 3.45
- Q1
- 2.24
- Min
- 0.71
ALC’s P/S Ratio of 4.37 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
COR
0.19
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 1.08
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.25
- Q1
- 0.18
- Min
- 0.06
COR’s P/S Ratio of 0.19 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Distribution industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ALC
1.98
Medical - Instruments & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 9.60
- Q3
- 5.48
- Median
- 3.37
- Q1
- 1.95
- Min
- 0.65
ALC’s P/B Ratio of 1.98 is within the conventional range for the Medical - Instruments & Supplies industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
COR
56.68
Medical - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 8.13
- Q3
- 8.13
- Median
- 2.74
- Q1
- 2.19
- Min
- 1.20
At 56.68, COR’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Medical - Distribution industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | COR |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 38.80 | 33.90 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.54 | 3.36 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 4.37 | 0.19 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 1.98 | 56.68 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 25.24 | 16.06 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 19.18 | 17.22 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 4.75 | 0.20 |