Alcon AG vs Burlington Stores Inc — how do they compare? Alcon AG trades at $74.32 (market cap $36.44B), while Burlington Stores Inc trades at $354.86 (market cap $22.59B). The key difference: Alcon AG is the larger of the two by market cap, and Alcon AG pays a 0.48% dividend while Burlington Stores Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ALC | BURL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $36.44B | $22.59B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $90.12 | $372.19 |
52-Week Low | $62.02 | $242.43 |
Enterprise Value | $40.28B | $27.71B |
Dividend Yield | 0.48% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ALC trades at $73.59, down slightly by 0.05% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $86.67 implying 17.8% upside. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates with EPS of $0.84 versus $0.77 expected, and the company raised its 2026 profitability outlook, driving positive investor sentiment. Revenue growth has been steady, reaching $10.40 billion in 2025, though net income margin dipped to 5.92%.
The outlook is positive given strong earnings beats, raised guidance, and bullish analyst ratings, but risks include elevated P/E of 57.52, high RSI levels suggesting overbought conditions, and margin pressures from rising costs. Institutional ownership trends and recent collaborations, like with RxSight, support growth, yet macroeconomic and competitive factors warrant caution.
Burlington Stores (BURL) trades at $353.63, down 4.81% in the last session but maintains strong fundamental momentum with consistent earnings beats and robust revenue growth. The stock shows a bullish technical setup with key support at $346 and resistance at $365, while fundamentals reveal impressive profitability with 39.14% ROE and expanding margins. Recent news highlights the company's successful smaller-store strategy and upward revised 2026 outlook.
BURL presents a compelling growth opportunity with 94% analyst buy ratings and a $367 consensus target offering 3.8% upside. However, elevated valuation multiples (P/E 36.92) and competitive retail pressures warrant caution. The company's debt-to-asset ratio rising to 20.99% in 2026 and recent insider selling of $619,200 worth of shares represent notable risk factors for investors.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Burlington is a leading off-price retailer in the US, offering branded apparel, footwear, and home goods at significant discounts. It operates hundreds of stores focused on delivering high-quality products at great value.
Read more on BURL →