Albemarle Corp. vs Alcon AG — how do they compare? Albemarle Corp. trades at $128.45 (market cap $15.27B), while Alcon AG trades at $73.8 (market cap $36.44B). The key difference: Alcon AG is far larger — about 2.4× Albemarle Corp.'s market cap, and Albemarle Corp. pays the higher dividend (1.27%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ALB | ALC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $15.27B | $36.44B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Health |
52-Week High | $215.62 | $90.12 |
52-Week Low | $72.58 | $62.02 |
Enterprise Value | $17.75B | $40.28B |
Dividend Yield | 1.27% | 0.48% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ALB trades at $128.21, down 2.29% today, amid a mixed technical picture with bullish moving averages but overbought RSI signals. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating estimates with EPS of $3.75, driven by improved lithium pricing and cost savings. Revenue for 2025 was $5.14B, though net income remained negative at -$510.63M. Analyst consensus is a Buy with a $184.50 price target, reflecting optimism for recovery.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic as lithium demand supports earnings growth, but Q3 guidance warns of sequential declines. Key risks include volatile lithium prices and execution challenges. The stock offers potential upside to analyst targets if operational improvements continue, but investors face margin pressure and macroeconomic headwinds.
ALC trades at $73.525, down 0.14% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and positive analyst sentiment. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates, with revenue of $10.4 billion in 2025 and a net income margin of 5.92%. The company raised its 2026 profitability outlook, citing tariff relief and strong product launches.
The stock offers a 17.9% upside to the consensus price target of $86.67, supported by bullish analyst ratings and improving cash flow trends. Key risks include elevated P/E valuation at 57.52 and potential macroeconomic pressures on medical device demand. Earnings growth and execution on new products remain critical for sustained momentum.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Albemarle is the world's largest lithium producer. Our outlook for robust lithium demand is predicated upon increased demand for electric vehicle batteries. Albemarle produces lithium from its salt brine deposits in Chile and the U.S. and its hard rock joint venture mines in Australia. Albemarle is also a global leader in the production of bromine, used in flame retardants. The company is also a major producer of oil refining catalysts.
Read more on ALB →Alcon, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is the global eyecare leader with a diverse portfolio in ophthalmology including contact lenses, eye drops, surgical equipment, and related surgical products. Novartis purchased Alcon from Nestle in 2010 and, following nine years as a Novartis subsidiary, the company was spun off as a public company in April 2019. The company reports five distinct segments: implantables (16% of revenue), consumables (31%), equipment (9%), contact lenses (27%), and ocular health (17%). The company is geographically diversified, with only about 40% of revenue from the U.S. market, and the firm has a strong presence in the European Union and Japan.
Read more on ALC →