ALC Analyst Ratings
Alcon Inc. (ALC) operates in the Healthcare sector, specifically the Medical - Specialties industry, with a market capitalization near $30.73B, listed on NYSE, employing roughly 25,000 people, carrying a beta of 0.73 to the broader market. Alcon Inc. Led by David J. Endicott, public since 2019-04-09.
Analyst Ratings
In the October 2026 monthly count, 27 analysts rated ALC: 4 Strong Buy, 17 Buy, 5 Hold, 0 Sell and 1 Strong Sell.
Twelve months earlier, in October 2025: 28 analysts, 4 Strong Buy, 16 Buy, 8 Hold, 0 Sell and 0 Strong Sell.
Price Targets
- Average Target
- $72.88
- Median Target
- $76.50
- High
- $85.00
- Low
- $35.00
- Targets Published, Last 12 Months
- 16
Recent Price Targets
The 5 most recent of 16 price targets published in the last 12 months.
| Date | Firm | Analyst | Target | Price When Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2026 | BTIG | Not named | $74.00 | $64.14 |
| Oct 6, 2026 | Barclays | Christopher Pasquale | $70.00 | $63.19 |
| Sep 22, 2026 | Jefferies | Michael Sarcone | $85.00 | $65.35 |
| Aug 13, 2026 | BNP Paribas | Not named | $79.00 | $73.58 |
| Aug 12, 2026 | UBS | Not named | $35.00 | $72.87 |
Recent Upgrades & Downgrades
| Date | Firm | Action | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2026 | BTIG | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Sep 22, 2026 | Jefferies | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Needham | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Aug 12, 2026 | JP Morgan | maintain | Neutral | Neutral |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Mizuho | maintain | Outperform | Outperform |
Quantitative Rating
ALC carries a model grade of B (overall score 3 of 5), computed from six valuation and financial measures (discounted cash flow, return on equity, return on assets, debt to equity, price to earnings and price to book), each scored 1 to 5. It is not an analyst rating.
How to Read ALC Analyst Coverage
Sell-side equity analysts publish three primary outputs: ratings (Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Sell / Strong Sell, or firm-specific equivalents), price targets, and EPS / revenue estimate revisions. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects 12-month directional conviction rather than near-term momentum. Price targets are more responsive but typically drift behind realized price during sharp moves. The most actionable signal for options traders is a cluster of ratings actions across multiple firms within a short window, which compresses or expands implied volatility on a horizon of days to weeks and shifts the put-call skew toward the directional consensus. The recent-actions table above shows the five most recent firm-level changes; longer histories live behind aggregator sources.
For event-driven options sizing, pair the consensus rating and target distribution with the implied-volatility surface and dealer-positioning view. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms tend to tighten put skew (downside protection becomes relatively cheaper); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The size of the IV response in the hours after a rating change is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page and the gamma-exposure page, both of which show how dealer hedging propagates the analyst-driven flow into the listed options chain.
Learn how analyst ratings is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked ALC analyst ratings questions
- What is the ALC consensus price target?
- As of the latest aggregator update, Alcon Inc. (ALC) carries a consensus 12-month price target of $72.88. Target ranges run from a low of $35.00 to a high of $85.00. The target is the average of the price targets published by sell-side equity analysts covering the name.
- What is the analyst rating consensus on ALC?
- In the October 2026 monthly count, 27 analysts rated ALC, and the distribution tilts to the Buy side: 4 Strong Buy, 17 Buy, 5 Hold, 0 Sell and 1 Strong Sell. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects sell-side conviction over a 12-month horizon rather than near-term momentum.
- What recent ratings actions has ALC seen?
- The five most recent ratings actions on ALC appear on the page above. Sell-side rating changes are watched for two reasons: an upgrade or downgrade with a meaningful target revision moves the consensus and can trigger short-term positioning shifts, and the firm-level rating cluster (multiple firms moving in the same direction within a short window) is a clearer signal than any single action. Options markets often price the implied-vol response within minutes of the announcement.
- How do analyst targets affect ALC options pricing?
- Analyst target revisions tend to be priced in by the lit options market within minutes of publication, but persistent target drift over weeks does correlate with implied-volatility movement. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms inside a single quarter tighten put skew (downside protection becomes cheaper relative to upside speculation); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The most actionable read is the implied-vol response in the hours after a target change, which is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page.