Price movement over the last 24 hours
Alcon AG vs Applied Digital Corporation — how do they compare? Alcon AG trades at $66.86 (market cap $32.69B), while Applied Digital Corporation trades at $30.96 (market cap $8.78B). The key difference: Alcon AG is far larger — about 3.7× Applied Digital Corporation's market cap, and Alcon AG pays a 0.54% dividend while Applied Digital Corporation pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ALC | APLD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $32.69B | $8.78B |
Sector | Health | Technology |
52-Week High | $92.22 | $49.65 |
52-Week Low | $62.02 | $9.18 |
Enterprise Value | $36.28B | $9.87B |
Dividend Yield | 0.54% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ALC trades at $66.87, down 4.01% on the day, amid a mixed technical and fundamental backdrop. The stock exhibits a bullish technical signal overall, with moving averages supporting a positive trend, while oscillators remain neutral. Fundamentally, revenue growth is steady, reaching $10.40 billion in 2025, though net income margin compressed to 7.7%. Recent news highlights product innovation, including a collaboration with RxSight for adjustable PCIOLs, signaling ongoing R&D investment. Analyst sentiment is predominantly positive, with a consensus price target of $86.00 implying significant upside.
The outlook for ALC is cautiously optimistic, driven by new product launches and strategic partnerships that may fuel growth. However, risks include competitive pressures, macroeconomic headwinds, and margin compression. With a P/E of 40.92, the valuation appears rich relative to historical norms, requiring strong earnings delivery to justify current levels. Investors should weigh robust analyst buy ratings against execution risks and market volatility.
Applied Digital (APLD) trades at $33.50, up 1.33% with a bearish technical signal despite bullish oscillators. The company shows rapid revenue growth but significant losses, with a -58.38% net margin and negative cash flow from operations. Recent developments include major AI data center expansions and $36 billion in contracted backlog, though profitability remains elusive amid heavy capital spending.
Outlook remains speculative with strong analyst support (100% buy ratings, $71.43 target) but substantial execution risks. The stock offers high-growth AI infrastructure exposure but faces customer concentration, mounting debt, and uncertain path to profitability. Current valuation at 27x sales appears rich given negative earnings and cash flow challenges.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Applied Digital provides high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure and cloud services. It designs and operates data centers tailored for AI, machine learning, and other intensive digital workloads across North America.
Read more on APLD →