AlconXSWX:ALCE +3.65%53 5-Year RORE % is 6.98 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates XSWX:ALCE with a GF Score™ of 53/100 and a GF Value™ of CHF73.46 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 704 Medical Devices & Instruments companies, Alcon ranks better than 65.62% on this metric.
Return on Retained Earnings (RORE) is an indicator of a company's growth potential, it shows how much a company earns by reinvesting its retained earnings, i.e. profits after dividend payments.
Alcon's 5-Year RORE % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 6.98%.
The industry rank for Alcon's 5-Year RORE % or its related term are showing as below:
XSWX:ALCE's 5-Year RORE % is ranked better than 65.62% of 704
companies
in the Medical Devices & Instruments industry
Industry Median: -4.46
vs XSWX:ALCE: 6.98
Alcon (XSWX:ALCE) 5-Year RORE % Explanation
Return on Retained Earnings (RORE) is important to investors because it reveals a company's efficiency and growth potential. A higher RORE indicates a higher return. A high RORE indicates that the company should reinvest profits into the business. A lower RORE suggests that the company should distribute profits to shareholders by paying out dividends, since those dollars aren't generating much additional growth for the company.
There are a several different ways to arrive at the Return on Retained Earnings. The simplest way to calculate it is by using published information on Earnings per Share (EPS) and Dividend per Share (DPS) over a selected period. Here, 5-year period is chosen.
Be Aware
Please keep in mind that the RORE is relative to the nature of the business and its competitors. If another company in the same sector is producing a lower return on retained earnings, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad investment. It may just suggest the company is older and no longer in a high growth stage. At such a stage in the business cycle, it would be expected to see a lower RORE and higher dividend payout.
Alcon 5-Year RORE % Related Terms
Alcon 5-Year RORE % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Alcon's 5-Year RORE % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
XSWX:ALCE vs ISRG, BDX, MDLN: 5-Year RORE % Comparison
For the Medical Instruments & Supplies subindustry, Alcon's 5-Year RORE %, along with its competitors' market caps and 5-Year RORE % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Alcon 5-Year RORE % vs Medical Devices & Instruments Industry
For the Medical Devices & Instruments industry and Healthcare sector, Alcon's 5-Year RORE % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Alcon's 5-Year RORE % falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of 5-Year RORE %, the most recent and first period EPS (Diluted) is the trailing twelve months (TTM) data ended in Mar. 2026 and 5-year before.
Alcon (XSWX:ALCE) has a 5-Year RORE % of 6.98 as of Mar. 2026. 5-Year RORE % shows how much a company earns by reinvesting its retained earnings in 5-year. View historical data on Alcon and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Alcon ranks #242 out of 704 companies in the Medical Devices & Instruments industry, placing it in the top 34.4%.
Is Alcon's 5-Year RORE % too high?
Alcon's current 5-Year RORE % is 6.98. Based on the distribution chart, Alcon ranks #242 out of 704 companies in the Medical Devices & Instruments industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Alcon has a GF Score™ of 53/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Alcon's 5-Year RORE % compare to ISRG and BDX?
According to the Medical Devices & Instruments industry distribution chart, Alcon ranks #242 out of 704 companies for 5-Year RORE %. This puts Alcon in the upper half of its industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good 5-Year RORE % for a Medical Devices & Instruments company?
A good 5-Year RORE % depends on the Medical Devices & Instruments industry context. However, 5-Year RORE % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high 5-Year RORE % mean?
A high 5-Year RORE % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. 5-Year RORE % shows how much a company earns by reinvesting its retained earnings in 5-year. View historical data on Alcon and its competitors. Alcon's current 5-Year RORE % is 6.98. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Alcon stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Alcon (XSWX:ALCE) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF73.46, compared to a current price of CHF55.60 — trading 24.3% below its estimated fair value. The current 5-Year RORE % is 6.98. Alcon's overall GF Score™ is 53/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is 5-Year RORE % calculated?
5-Year RORE % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Alcon (XSWX:ALCE), the current 5-Year RORE % is 6.98 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Alcon (XSWX:ALCE) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Alcon stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of CHF55.60 is trading 24.3% below its estimated GF Value™ of CHF73.46.
GuruFocus considers Alcon to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:ALCE:
5-Year RORE %: 6.98
GF Value™: CHF73.46 vs. price of CHF55.60 (24.3% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:ALCE stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Alcon is one of the leading visioncare companies in the world. Following nine years as a Novartis subsidiary, it was spun off as a public company in April 2019. Alcon operates in two segments: visioncare and surgical. Visioncare comprises contact lenses, lenscare solutions, and a suite of ocular health products. With brands like Dailies, Total1, and Air Optix, Alcon controls about one fourth of the US contact lens market. Surgical comprises intraocular lenses, ophthalmic surgical equipment, and consumables used during surgeries. Its main products include Centurion, a phacoemulsification device used during cataract surgeries, and a portfolio of IOLs including PanOptix and Vivity. Alcon has one of the largest installed bases of eye surgical equipment in the world.
53GF Score
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