ALC vs. LH: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ALC and LH, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ALC’s market capitalization of 43.42 billion USD is substantially larger than LH’s 21.91 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 0.70 for ALC and 0.79 for LH, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | ALC | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Alcon Inc. | Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings |
| Country | CH | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical - Instruments & Supplies | Medical - Equipment & Services |
| CEO | David J. Endicott | Adam H. Schechter |
| Price | 87.78 USD | 261.89 USD |
| Market Cap | 43.42 billion USD | 21.91 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.70 | 0.79 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | April 9, 2019 | March 29, 1990 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ALC and LH 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.
LH
8.98%
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 34.18%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- -14.21%
- Q1
- -42.39%
- Min
- -57.31%
LH’s Return on Equity of 8.98% is on par with the norm for the Medical - Equipment & Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
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.
LH
5.48%
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 9.06%
- Q3
- 6.37%
- Median
- 4.11%
- Q1
- -1.97%
- Min
- -14.49%
LH’s Return on Invested Capital of 5.48% is in line with the norm for the Medical - Equipment & Services 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.
LH
5.55%
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 8.09%
- Q3
- 6.18%
- Median
- -19.68%
- Q1
- -59.13%
- Min
- -101.82%
LH’s Net Profit Margin of 5.55% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Medical - Equipment & Services 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.
LH
8.37%
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 16.01%
- Q3
- 10.28%
- Median
- 6.69%
- Q1
- -15.48%
- Min
- -54.12%
LH’s Operating Profit Margin of 8.37% is around the midpoint for the Medical - Equipment & Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 6.95% | 8.98% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.61% | 4.15% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 4.39% | 5.48% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 11.27% | 5.55% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 15.22% | 8.37% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 55.55% | 27.42% |
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.
LH
1.84
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 11.42
- Q3
- 5.56
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.65
- Min
- 1.10
LH’s Current Ratio of 1.84 aligns with the median group of the Medical - Equipment & Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
LH
0.78
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 1.69
- Q3
- 1.01
- Median
- 0.65
- Q1
- 0.39
- Min
- 0.02
LH’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.78 is typical for the Medical - Equipment & 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
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.
LH
6.83
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 9.03
- Q3
- 7.93
- Median
- 6.83
- Q1
- 5.29
- Min
- 3.75
LH’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.83 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Medical - Equipment & Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 2.70 | 1.84 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.66 | 1.60 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.24 | 0.78 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.17 | 0.37 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.54 | 3.41 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.72 | 6.83 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ALC and LH. 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.
LH
1.10%
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 1.11%
- Q3
- 0.72%
- Median
- 0.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 1.10%, LH offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Equipment & Services 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.
LH
33.20%
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 987.07%
- Q3
- 271.66%
- Median
- 16.60%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LH’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 33.20% is within the typical range for the Medical - Equipment & Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.38% | 1.10% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 11.23% | 33.20% |
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.
LH
29.96
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 29.81
- Q3
- 26.64
- Median
- 23.46
- Q1
- 20.29
- Min
- 17.12
At 29.96, LH’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Medical - Equipment & Services industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
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.
LH
4.04
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 4.02
- Q3
- 2.55
- Median
- 1.08
- Q1
- 0.70
- Min
- 0.33
LH’s Forward PEG Ratio of 4.04 is exceptionally high for the Medical - Equipment & Services industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
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.
LH
1.66
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 7.06
- Q3
- 3.65
- Median
- 1.53
- Q1
- 1.38
- Min
- 1.33
LH’s P/S Ratio of 1.66 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Equipment & Services 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.
LH
2.64
Medical - Equipment & Services Industry
- Max
- 8.29
- Q3
- 4.15
- Median
- 2.05
- Q1
- 1.39
- Min
- 1.12
LH’s P/B Ratio of 2.64 is within the conventional range for the Medical - Equipment & Services 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ALC | LH |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 38.80 | 29.96 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.54 | 4.04 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 4.37 | 1.66 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 1.98 | 2.64 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 25.24 | 19.02 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 19.18 | 15.58 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 4.75 | 2.13 |