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ALC vs. SYK: Alcon vs. Stryker Stock Comparison

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

Company profile comparison for Alcon (ALC) and Stryker (SYK)
Profile ItemALCSYK
NameAlcon Inc.Stryker Corp.
Country/RegionSwitzerlandUnited States
GICS SectorHealth CareHealth Care
GICS Industry GroupHealth Care Equipment & ServicesHealth Care Equipment & Services
GICS IndustryHealth Care Equipment & SuppliesHealth Care Equipment & Supplies
GICS Sub-IndustryHealth Care SuppliesHealth Care Equipment
Market Capitalization36.23 billion USD124.06 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateApril 9, 2019March 17, 1980
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ALC
SYK
GSPC
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK), 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 Stryker (SYK). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricALCSYK
Total Return (1Y)1.20%-6.99%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)1.17%7.60%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-2.77%4.64%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ALC
SYK
GSPC
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK), 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 Stryker (SYK). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricALCSYK
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)29.23%32.80%
Beta (5Y)0.840.72
Max Drawdown (5Y)-37.93%-32.47%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.74M2.81M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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ALC and SYK 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 Stryker (SYK)
MetricALCSYK
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.11-0.34
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.15-0.49

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Stryker (SYK) at 16.02% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Alcon (ALC) at 2.94% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for SYK.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

16.02%

Max
47.61%
SYK
16.02%
Q3
14.36%
Median
5.45%
Q1
-10.67%
Min
-47.01%
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their ROE against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Stryker (SYK) at 13.78% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Alcon (ALC) at 5.92%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

13.78%

Max
29.35%
SYK
13.78%
Q3
9.33%
Median
2.18%
Q1
-6.29%
Min
-28.46%
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their net margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 14.63% and Stryker (SYK) at 22.96% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

22.96%

Max
35.43%
SYK
22.96%
Q3
14.14%
Median
6.81%
Q1
-0.28%
Min
-16.29%
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their operating margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricALCSYK
ROE (TTM)2.94%16.02%
ROA (TTM)2.80%8.36%
Net Margin (TTM)5.92%13.78%
Operating Margin (TTM)14.63%22.96%
Gross Margin (TTM)57.22%65.70%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Alcon (ALC) at 4.94% and Stryker (SYK) at 11.16% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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

EPS Growth

Both Alcon (ALC) at -3.41% and Stryker (SYK) at 8.25% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricALCSYK
Revenue Growth (YoY)4.94%11.16%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)6.06%10.83%
EPS Growth (YoY)-3.41%8.25%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)42.80%10.83%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 2.09 and Stryker (SYK) at 2.18 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.18

Max
7.59
Q3
4.00
SYK
2.18
Median
1.98
Q1
1.37
Min
0.30
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): 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 Stryker (SYK) at 0.66 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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.66

Max
1.88
Q3
0.91
SYK
0.66
Median
0.58
Q1
0.16
Min
0.00
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): 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 Stryker (SYK)
MetricALCSYK
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.092.18
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.250.66
Net Debt / EBITDA1.601.62

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Alcon (ALC) at 0.46% and Stryker (SYK) at 1.05% 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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.05%

SYK
1.05%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): 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 Stryker (SYK) at 37.49% 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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

37.49%

SYK
37.49%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricALCSYK
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.46%1.05%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)26.56%37.49%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Stryker (SYK) at 34.70 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Alcon (ALC) at 56.77 sits in the richer quartile — ALC needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

34.70

Max
80.41
Q3
47.62
SYK
34.70
Median
29.93
Q1
21.19
Min
4.21
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Alcon (ALC) at 3.34 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Stryker (SYK) at 4.72 sits in the pricier quartile — SYK costs more per dollar of sales.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

4.72

Max
8.80
SYK
4.72
Q3
4.32
Median
2.13
Q1
1.10
Min
0.03
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): 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 Stryker (SYK) at 5.29 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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

5.29

Max
11.68
Q3
6.12
SYK
5.29
Median
3.00
Q1
1.73
Min
-1.31
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Alcon (ALC) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Alcon (ALC) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricALCSYK
P/E Ratio (TTM)56.7734.70
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.344.72
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.685.29
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)3.51%2.98%