COMPARE · Reviewed July 29, 2026
ALC vs ISRG
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. ALC scored 73.0, ISRG scored 76.2 — ISRG leads.
Compare another set
ALC
Alcon Inc.
73
$69.65 · $34.0B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
3.2
ISRG leads
ISRG
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
76.2
$353.10 · $126.5B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
ALC
stronger →← stronger
ISRG
87
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
84
71
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
99
63
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
53
ALC is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
ALC
ISRG
$2.1bB
FCF
$3.2bB
+10.5%B
Rev
+20.7%A-
0.24B
D/E
—
41.7xC+
P/E
40.5xC+
1.52C+
PEG
1.78C+
Winner per row is the stronger grade in our model; a tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
ALC
ISRG
34% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
200% above
~-1%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~38%/yr
+30%
1-yr DCF upside
-70%
+51%
5-yr DCF upside
-67%
+88%
10-yr DCF upside
-61%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
ALC
Why this score
- Durable high returns
ISRG
No notable signals flagged.
The companies
ALCAlcon Inc.
Why now
Medical Instruments & Supplies · market cap $34.0b. Down 23% from 52-week high of $90.91 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +10%, comfortably above the S&P median. 15 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $87.32 (implying +25% upside).
Moat
Net margin 31% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 30% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
Trailing P/E 42x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
ISRGIntuitive Surgical, Inc.
Why now
Medical Instruments & Supplies · market cap $126.5b. Down 42% from 52-week high of $603.88 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +21%, comfortably above the S&P median. 29 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $484.60 (implying +37% upside).
Moat
Net margin 28% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 17% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 103% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Down 42% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Beta 1.46 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return. Trailing P/E 40x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.