ALC vs. COR: Alcon vs. Cencora Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR) both fall under the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group, but ALC is classified in Health Care Equipment & Supplies while COR is classified in Health Care Providers & Services.

Company profile comparison for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR)
Profile Item	ALC	COR
Name	Alcon Inc.	Cencora Inc.
Country/Region	Switzerland	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Health Care
GICS Industry Group	Health Care Equipment & Services	Health Care Equipment & Services
GICS Industry	Health Care Equipment & Supplies	Health Care Providers & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Health Care Supplies	Health Care Distributors
Market Capitalization	36.23 billion USD	63.65 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	April 9, 2019	April 4, 1995
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ALC

COR

GSPC

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR)
Metric	ALC	COR
Total Return (1Y)	1.20%	-3.53%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	1.17%	21.62%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-2.77%	24.10%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ALC

COR

GSPC

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR)
Metric	ALC	COR
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	29.23%	31.90%
Beta (5Y)	0.84	0.56
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-37.93%	-32.44%
Avg. Volume (3M)	1.74M	1.29M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ALC and COR are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR)
Metric	ALC	COR
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.11	-0.24
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.15	-0.30

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Cencora (COR) at 129.01% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Alcon (ALC) at 2.94%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.94%

Max: 47.61%
Q3: 14.36%
Median: 5.45%
ALC: 2.94%
Q1: -10.67%
Min: -47.01%

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

129.01%

COR: 129.01%
Max: 47.61%
Q3: 14.36%
Median: 5.45%
Q1: -10.67%
Min: -47.01%

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their ROE against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 5.92% and Cencora (COR) at 1.03% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

5.92%

Max: 29.35%
Q3: 9.33%
ALC: 5.92%
Median: 2.18%
Q1: -6.29%
Min: -28.46%

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.03%

Max: 29.35%
Q3: 9.33%
Median: 2.18%
COR: 1.03%
Q1: -6.29%
Min: -28.46%

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their net margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Alcon (ALC) at 14.63% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Cencora (COR) at 1.27%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

14.63%

Max: 35.43%
ALC: 14.63%
Q3: 14.14%
Median: 6.81%
Q1: -0.28%
Min: -16.29%

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.27%

Max: 35.43%
Q3: 14.14%
Median: 6.81%
COR: 1.27%
Q1: -0.28%
Min: -16.29%

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their operating margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR)
Metric	ALC	COR
ROE (TTM)	2.94%	129.01%
ROA (TTM)	2.80%	3.57%
Net Margin (TTM)	5.92%	1.03%
Operating Margin (TTM)	14.63%	1.27%
Gross Margin (TTM)	57.22%	4.09%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Only one side can be read here: Alcon (ALC) reports revenue growth of 4.94%, ranked against its industry; Cencora (COR) has no revenue growth figure this period.

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Cencora (COR) at 125.50% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Alcon (ALC) at -3.41%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR)
Metric	ALC	COR
Revenue Growth (YoY)	4.94%	--
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	6.06%	--
EPS Growth (YoY)	-3.41%	125.50%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	42.80%	28.15%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Alcon (ALC) at 2.09 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Cencora (COR) at 0.94 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for COR.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.09

Max: 7.59
Q3: 4.00
ALC: 2.09
Median: 1.98
Q1: 1.37
Min: 0.30

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.94

Max: 7.59
Q3: 4.00
Median: 1.98
Q1: 1.37
COR: 0.94
Min: 0.30

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their current ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Alcon (ALC) at 0.25 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Cencora (COR) at 3.06 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.25

Max: 1.88
Q3: 0.91
Median: 0.58
ALC: 0.25
Q1: 0.16
Min: 0.00

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

3.06

COR: 3.06
Max: 1.88
Q3: 0.91
Median: 0.58
Q1: 0.16
Min: 0.00

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR)
Metric	ALC	COR
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.09	0.94
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.25	3.06
Net Debt / EBITDA	1.60	1.12

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 0.46% and Cencora (COR) at 0.71% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.46%

ALC: 0.46%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.71%

COR: 0.71%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 26.56% and Cencora (COR) at 17.45% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

26.56%

ALC: 26.56%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

17.45%

COR: 17.45%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR)
Metric	ALC	COR
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.46%	0.71%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	26.56%	17.45%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Cencora (COR) at 18.58 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Alcon (ALC) at 56.77 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

56.77

Max: 80.41
ALC: 56.77
Q3: 47.62
Median: 29.93
Q1: 21.19
Min: 4.21

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

18.58

Max: 80.41
Q3: 47.62
Median: 29.93
Q1: 21.19
COR: 18.58
Min: 4.21

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Cencora (COR) at 0.19 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Alcon (ALC) at 3.34 prices around its industry’s middle — COR costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

3.34

Max: 8.80
Q3: 4.32
ALC: 3.34
Median: 2.13
Q1: 1.10
Min: 0.03

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.19

Max: 8.80
Q3: 4.32
Median: 2.13
Q1: 1.10
COR: 0.19
Min: 0.03

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Alcon (ALC) at 1.68 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile relative to book while Cencora (COR) at 17.29 prices above its industry range — a wide valuation gap against assets.

ALC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.68

Max: 11.68
Q3: 6.12
Median: 3.00
Q1: 1.73
ALC: 1.68
Min: -1.31

COR

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

17.29

COR: 17.29
Max: 11.68
Q3: 6.12
Median: 3.00
Q1: 1.73
Min: -1.31

Alcon (ALC) vs. Cencora (COR): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Cencora (COR)
Metric	ALC	COR
P/E Ratio (TTM)	56.77	18.58
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.34	0.19
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.68	17.29
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	3.51%	2.81%