ALC vs. CVS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ALC and CVS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | ALC | CVS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Alcon Inc. | CVS Health Corporation |
| Country | Switzerland | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Equipment & Supplies | Health Care Providers & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 37.97 billion USD | 97.57 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | April 9, 2019 | February 21, 1973 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ALC and CVS 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | CVS |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.99% | -0.67% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -12.43% | 15.41% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -27.18% | 13.95% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 0.56% | 17.90% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 2.26% | 2.04% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -21.20% | 71.37% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.10M | 6.43M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.10M | 7.31M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 28.35% | 25.98% |
| Beta | 0.97 | 0.48 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
ALC
4.93%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 29.93%
- Q3
- 16.99%
- Median
- 9.28%
- Q1
- 5.10%
- Min
- -12.52%
ALC’s Return on Equity of 4.93% is in the lower quartile for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
CVS
5.95%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 24.86%
- Q3
- 15.79%
- Median
- 8.56%
- Q1
- 5.75%
- Min
- -1.64%
CVS’s Return on Equity of 5.95% is on par with the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
ALC
10.70%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.41%
- Q3
- 13.71%
- Median
- 10.08%
- Q1
- 5.96%
- Min
- -5.58%
ALC’s Net Profit Margin of 10.70% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
CVS
1.17%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 11.56%
- Q3
- 5.45%
- Median
- 2.83%
- Q1
- 1.13%
- Min
- -1.71%
CVS’s Net Profit Margin of 1.17% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
ALC
14.38%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.09%
- Q3
- 18.11%
- Median
- 15.07%
- Q1
- 8.48%
- Min
- -0.28%
ALC’s Operating Profit Margin of 14.38% is around the midpoint for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
CVS
2.44%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 19.08%
- Q3
- 9.66%
- Median
- 4.77%
- Q1
- 2.46%
- Min
- -0.83%
CVS’s Operating Profit Margin of 2.44% is in the lower quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | CVS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 4.93% | 5.95% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.49% | 1.78% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 10.70% | 1.17% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.38% | 2.44% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 54.26% | 13.82% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
ALC
2.60
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 5.19
- Q3
- 3.00
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- 0.86
ALC’s Current Ratio of 2.60 aligns with the median group of the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
CVS
0.80
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.00
- Q3
- 1.51
- Median
- 1.29
- Q1
- 0.92
- Min
- 0.14
CVS’s Current Ratio of 0.80 falls into the lower quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services 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 (MRQ)
ALC
0.24
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 1.61
- Q3
- 0.76
- Median
- 0.45
- Q1
- 0.14
- Min
- 0.00
ALC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.24 is typical for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
CVS
0.86
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.29
- Q3
- 1.24
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.50
- Min
- 0.00
CVS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.86 is typical for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
ALC
9.60
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 56.35
- Q3
- 25.56
- Median
- 9.60
- Q1
- 3.78
- Min
- -26.49
ALC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.60 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
CVS
3.08
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 14.47
- Q3
- 7.50
- Median
- 4.52
- Q1
- 2.12
- Min
- -4.44
CVS’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.08 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | CVS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.60 | 0.80 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.61 | 0.62 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.24 | 0.86 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 9.60 | 3.08 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
ALC
0.44%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.15%
- Q3
- 1.76%
- Median
- 0.79%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ALC’s Dividend Yield of 0.44% is consistent with its peers in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
CVS
3.44%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 5.93%
- Q3
- 2.59%
- Median
- 1.35%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 3.44%, CVS offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Health Care Providers & Services industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
ALC
94.32%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 160.00%
- Q3
- 66.60%
- Median
- 27.49%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ALC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 94.32% is in the upper quartile for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies 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.
CVS
74.62%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 185.33%
- Q3
- 74.82%
- Median
- 36.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CVS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 74.62% is within the typical range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | CVS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.44% | 3.44% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 94.32% | 74.62% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
ALC
35.26
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 67.29
- Q3
- 47.01
- Median
- 30.94
- Q1
- 23.91
- Min
- 10.79
ALC’s P/E Ratio of 35.26 is within the middle range for the Health Care Equipment & 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.
CVS
21.71
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 40.02
- Q3
- 29.75
- Median
- 21.09
- Q1
- 14.18
- Min
- 7.05
CVS’s P/E Ratio of 21.71 is within the middle range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
ALC
3.77
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 9.49
- Q3
- 5.41
- Median
- 2.86
- Q1
- 2.07
- Min
- 0.74
ALC’s P/S Ratio of 3.77 aligns with the market consensus for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
CVS
0.25
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 3.15
- Q3
- 1.87
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.09
In the lower quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, CVS’s P/S Ratio of 0.25 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
ALC
1.98
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 10.85
- Q3
- 6.56
- Median
- 3.53
- Q1
- 2.36
- Min
- 0.71
ALC’s P/B Ratio of 1.98 is in the lower quartile for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
CVS
1.13
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 7.33
- Q3
- 4.45
- Median
- 2.52
- Q1
- 1.15
- Min
- 0.66
CVS’s P/B Ratio of 1.13 is in the lower quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | CVS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 35.26 | 21.71 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 3.77 | 0.25 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 1.98 | 1.13 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 26.74 | 15.88 |