COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
ALC vs SHC
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. ALC scored 73.3, SHC scored 68.4 — ALC leads.
Compare another set
ALC
Alcon Inc.
73.3
$73.63 · $35.6B
Score gap
4.9
ALC leads
SHC
Sotera Health Company
68.4
$19.57 · $5.6B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestSHC34.3x
- Fastest growthALC+10.5%
- Strongest balance sheetALC0.25
- Highest qualityALC87 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueALC-30%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
ALC
stronger →← stronger
SHC
87
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
62
71
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
77
63
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
68
SHC is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
ALC
SHC
$2.1bB
FCF
$113mC
+10.5%B
Rev
+8.1%B
0.25B
D/E
3.41D
56.2xC
P/E
34.3xC+
1.53C+
PEG
1.31B
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
ALC
SHC
30% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
374% above
~0%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~51%/yr
+24%
1-yr DCF upside
-80%
+43%
5-yr DCF upside
-79%
+76%
10-yr DCF upside
-77%
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
SHC
No notable signals flagged.
The companies
ALCAlcon Inc.
Why now
Medical Instruments & Supplies · market cap $35.6b. 16% off the 52-week high of $87.64. Revenue growing +10%, comfortably above the S&P median. 15 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $85.24 (implying +16% 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 56.2x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating.
SHCSotera Health Company
Why now
Diagnostics & Research · market cap $5.6b. Trading near 52-week high of $19.85 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. 9 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $22.72 (implying +16% upside).
Moat
Net margin 13% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 25% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
D/E 3.41 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Trading within 1% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction. Beta 1.77 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return.
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.
Where ALC and SHC diverge
On the headline score the gap is 4.9 points in favor of ALC. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- QualityALC 87.5 · SHC 62.0ALC +25.5
- GrowthALC 71.4 · SHC 76.5SHC +5.1
- ValueALC 63.2 · SHC 67.5SHC +4.3
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.