Alcon (ALC) vs STAAR Surgical (STAA)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
STAAR Surgical (STAA) has outperformed Alcon (ALC) over the past year, losing 16.3% versus a loss of 16.4%. Over five years, ALC leads with a -19.3% price change compared with -80.5% for STAA. Alcon is the larger company by market cap ($30.45 billion vs $1.12 billion), about 27.2 times the size.
On valuation, Alcon trades at a lower forward P/E (15.9x vs 20.1x for STAAR Surgical). Alcon pays a dividend yielding 0.56%, while STAAR Surgical does not currently pay one.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | ALC | STAA |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $63.00 | $22.36 |
| Market cap | $30.45B | $1.12B |
| 1-day change | -0.30% | +0.95% |
| YTD return | -20.06% | -3.16% |
| 1-year return | -16.41% | -16.32% |
| 5-year return | -19.25% | -80.54% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 47.73 | 279.50 |
| Forward P/E | 15.89 | 20.12 |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.32 | $0.08 |
| Dividend yield | 0.56% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.353 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $10.40B | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +4.94% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $980.00M | — |
| Gross margin | 55.24% | — |
| Operating margin | 13.08% | — |
| Net margin | 9.42% | — |
| 52-week high | $87.64 | $35.87 |
| 52-week low | $61.84 | $15.59 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -28.12% | -37.66% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +32.62% | +25.22% |
| Average volume | 1.86M | 1.00M |
| Shares outstanding | 483.40M | 50.14M |
| Employees | 25,000 | 921 |
| Sector | Health Care | Healthcare |
| Industry | Ophthalmic Goods | Medical Instruments & Supplies |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Alcon is about 27.2 times larger than STAAR Surgical by market value ($30.45B vs $1.12B).
- STAAR Surgical trades at a higher earnings multiple (279.5x vs 47.7x trailing P/E).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Alcon in Health Care and STAAR Surgical in Healthcare.
About Alcon
ALC stock →Alcon Inc. researches, develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells eye care products worldwide.
Health Care · Ophthalmic Goods · 25,000 employees
About STAAR Surgical
STAA stock →STAAR Surgical Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells phakic implantable lenses for the eye and accessory delivery systems to deliver the lenses into the eye. The company offers implantable collamer lens product family (ICLs) comprising EVO ICL, EVO+ ICL, EVO Visian ICL, and EVO Viva ICL for use in refractive surgery for the treatment of visual disorders, such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia.
Healthcare · Medical Instruments & Supplies · 921 employees
ALC vs STAA FAQ
Which is bigger, Alcon or STAAR Surgical?
Alcon (ALC) is larger, with a market capitalization of $30.45B compared with $1.12B for STAAR Surgical (STAA).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, ALC or STAA?
STAA returned -16.32% over the past 12 months, compared with -16.41% for ALC (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, ALC or STAA?
ALC has the lower trailing P/E at 47.7, versus 279.5 for STAA. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Alcon or STAAR Surgical?
Alcon pays a dividend yielding 0.56%, while STAAR Surgical does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are Alcon and STAAR Surgical in the same industry?
No. Alcon is in the Health Care sector, while STAAR Surgical is in Healthcare.