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Alcon Inc (ALC)
NYSE:ALC
Earnings Data
Report Date
May 19, 2026After Close (Confirmed)
Period Ending
2026 (Q1)Consensus EPS Forecast
0.83Last Year’s EPS
0.79Same Quarter Last Year
Moderate Buy
Based on 10 Analysts Ratings
Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The call presents a predominantly positive underlying operational story: broad-based top-line growth across Surgical, Vision Care, and Ocular Health, successful new-product introductions (Unity, PanOptix Pro, Truqtra, Total30 expansions), strong free cash flow and accelerated shareholder returns, and explicit guidance for margin improvement and EPS growth in 2026. Offsetting these positives are notable near-term headwinds — tariff-related charges, margin compression in the quarter, an increasingly competitive IOL environment (with China and some international softness), and execution/phasing uncertainty as equipment and new-product ramps continue. On balance, the highlights (strong revenue growth, successful launches, robust cash generation, and disciplined capital allocation plus a clear plan to drive margins) outweigh the lowlights, though management is appropriately cautious on guidance and market visibility.Company Guidance
Strong Overall Revenue Growth
Q4 sales of $2.7 billion, up 7% versus prior year; full-year momentum with management exiting 2025 on a stronger rate.
Surgical & Equipment Momentum (Unity)
Surgical revenue $1.5 billion, up 6% YoY; Equipment sales $77 million, up 18% driven by Unity VCS/CS launches and strong installation demand for Unity VCS (introduced mid‑2025).
Vision Care and Contact Lens Performance
Vision Care sales $1.2 billion, up 7% YoY; Contact Lens sales $683 million, up 4% (growth driven by product innovation and price), notable share gains in reusables and daily SiHy in Q4.
Ocular Health and Truqtra Launch Success
Ocular Health sales $474 million, up 12% YoY; Truqtra surpassed ~84,000 prescriptions and achieved ~3% U.S. market share within ~5 months of launch, with >33% commercial lives covered and high refill rates—management expects it to be a meaningful 2026 growth driver.
Product Pipeline and Notable Launches
Multiple high-impact launches and pipeline items: Unity VCS award recognition and broad roll-out; PanOptix Pro strong U.S. adoption (rolling out in Japan/Australia); TruPlus (FDA PMA) launching soon; Vivity upgrade planned for 2027; Total30 Multifocal for Astigmatism launched; Valeda showing encouraging adoption and reimbursement progress (6 of 7 MACs).
Strong Cash Generation & Shareholder Returns
Generated $1.7 billion free cash flow in 2025 (vs $1.6B in 2024); free cash flow was 114% of core net income; returned $848 million to shareholders in 2025 ($682M repurchases, $166M dividends) and completed $750M repurchase program ahead of schedule.
Prudent 2026 Guidance & Margin Improvement Plan
2026 outlook: sales growth guidance 5%–7%; market assumption 3%–4%; core diluted EPS growth guidance 9%–12%; core operating margin expected to expand ~70–170 bps driven by SG&A leverage, R&D at ~9% of sales, and announced efficiency program targeting $100M annualized savings (≈$50M recognized in 2026) at an estimated $150M cost.
ALC Earnings History
The table shows recent earnings report dates and whether the forecast was beat or missed. See the change in forecast and EPS from the previous year.
Beat
Missed
ALC Earnings-Related Price Changes
Report Date | Price 1 Day Before | Price 1 Day After | Percentage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Feb 24, 2026 | $84.13 | ― | ― |
Nov 11, 2025 | $77.36 | $79.44 | +2.69% |
Jul 30, 2025 | $89.18 | $87.55 | -1.83% |
May 13, 2025 | $92.92 | $87.24 | -6.11% |
Earnings announcements can affect a stock’s price. This table shows the stock's price the day before and the day after recent earnings reports, including the percentage change.
FAQ
When does Alcon Inc (ALC) report earnings?
Alcon Inc (ALC) is schdueled to report earning on May 19, 2026, After Close (Confirmed).
What is Alcon Inc (ALC) earnings time?
Alcon Inc (ALC) earnings time is at May 19, 2026, After Close (Confirmed).
Where can I see when companies are reporting earnings?
You can see which companies are reporting today on our designated earnings calendar.
What companies are reporting earnings today?
You can see a list of the companies which are reporting today on TipRanks earnings calendar.
What is ALC EPS forecast?
ALC EPS forecast for the fiscal quarter 2026 (Q1) is 0.83.