ALC vs. PHG: Alcon vs. Koninklijke Philips Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Alcon (ALC) and Koninklijke Philips (PHG) 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 Koninklijke Philips (PHG) both belong to the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, though ALC is classified under Health Care Supplies while PHG falls under Health Care Equipment.

Alcon (ALC) trades as ordinary local shares, while Koninklijke Philips (PHG) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Alcon (ALC) and Koninklijke Philips (PHG)
Profile Item	ALC	PHG
Name	Alcon Inc.	Koninklijke Philips N.V. ADR
Country/Region	Switzerland	Netherlands
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 Equipment & Supplies
GICS Sub-Industry	Health Care Supplies	Health Care Equipment
Market Capitalization	36.23 billion USD	29.67 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	April 9, 2019	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ALC

PHG

GSPC

Alcon (ALC) vs. Koninklijke Philips (PHG), 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 Koninklijke Philips (PHG). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Koninklijke Philips (PHG)
Metric	ALC	PHG
Total Return (1Y)	1.20%	13.15%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	1.17%	18.95%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-2.77%	-6.38%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ALC

PHG

GSPC

Alcon (ALC) vs. Koninklijke Philips (PHG), 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 Koninklijke Philips (PHG). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Koninklijke Philips (PHG)
Metric	ALC	PHG
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	29.23%	29.55%
Beta (5Y)	0.84	0.65
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-37.93%	-74.51%
Avg. Volume (3M)	1.74M	1.08M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ALC and PHG 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 Koninklijke Philips (PHG)
Metric	ALC	PHG
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.11	0.30
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.15	0.48

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 2.94% and Koninklijke Philips (PHG) at 8.61% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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%

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

8.61%

Max: 47.61%
Q3: 14.36%
PHG: 8.61%
Median: 5.45%
Q1: -10.67%
Min: -47.01%

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

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 5.92% and Koninklijke Philips (PHG) at 5.39% 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%

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

5.39%

Max: 29.35%
Q3: 9.33%
PHG: 5.39%
Median: 2.18%
Q1: -6.29%
Min: -28.46%

Alcon (ALC) vs. Koninklijke Philips (PHG): 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 Koninklijke Philips (PHG) at 3.76%, 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%

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

3.76%

Max: 35.43%
Q3: 14.14%
Median: 6.81%
PHG: 3.76%
Q1: -0.28%
Min: -16.29%

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

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Koninklijke Philips (PHG)
Metric	ALC	PHG
ROE (TTM)	2.94%	8.61%
ROA (TTM)	2.80%	3.59%
Net Margin (TTM)	5.92%	5.39%
Operating Margin (TTM)	14.63%	3.76%
Gross Margin (TTM)	57.22%	46.43%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Alcon (ALC) at 4.94% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Koninklijke Philips (PHG) at -1.04% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Alcon (ALC) vs. Koninklijke Philips (PHG): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Alcon (ALC) reports EPS growth of -3.41%, ranked against its industry; Koninklijke Philips (PHG) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Alcon (ALC) vs. Koninklijke Philips (PHG): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Koninklijke Philips (PHG)
Metric	ALC	PHG
Revenue Growth (YoY)	4.94%	-1.04%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	6.06%	0.01%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-3.41%	--
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	42.80%	--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Alcon (ALC) at 2.09 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Koninklijke Philips (PHG) at 1.33 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for PHG.

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

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.33

Max: 7.59
Q3: 4.00
Median: 1.98
Q1: 1.37
PHG: 1.33
Min: 0.30

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

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 0.25 and Koninklijke Philips (PHG) at 0.70 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

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

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.70

Max: 1.88
Q3: 0.91
PHG: 0.70
Median: 0.58
Q1: 0.16
Min: 0.00

Alcon (ALC) vs. Koninklijke Philips (PHG): 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 Koninklijke Philips (PHG)
Metric	ALC	PHG
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.09	1.33
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.25	0.70
Net Debt / EBITDA	1.60	2.45

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Koninklijke Philips (PHG) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Alcon (ALC) reports a yield of 0.46%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.00%

PHG: 0.00%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Koninklijke Philips (PHG) reports payout ratio above 100% at 211.79%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile Alcon (ALC) reports 26.56%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

211.79%

PHG: 211.79%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

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

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Koninklijke Philips (PHG)
Metric	ALC	PHG
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.46%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	26.56%	211.79%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 56.77 and Koninklijke Philips (PHG) at 63.23 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.

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

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

63.23

Max: 80.41
PHG: 63.23
Q3: 47.62
Median: 29.93
Q1: 21.19
Min: 4.21

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

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Alcon (ALC) at 3.34 and Koninklijke Philips (PHG) at 1.67 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

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

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.67

Max: 8.80
Q3: 4.32
Median: 2.13
PHG: 1.67
Q1: 1.10
Min: 0.03

Alcon (ALC) vs. Koninklijke Philips (PHG): 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 against book while Koninklijke Philips (PHG) at 2.28 is valued near its industry’s middle — ALC is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

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

PHG

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.28

Max: 11.68
Q3: 6.12
Median: 3.00
PHG: 2.28
Q1: 1.73
Min: -1.31

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

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Koninklijke Philips (PHG)
Metric	ALC	PHG
P/E Ratio (TTM)	56.77	63.23
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.34	1.67
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.68	2.28
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	3.51%	6.23%