Alcon AG vs Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. — how do they compare? Alcon AG trades at $74.32 (market cap $36.44B), while Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. trades at $47.64 (market cap $98.11B). The key difference: Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. is far larger — about 2.7× Alcon AG's market cap, and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. pays the higher dividend (3.73%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ALC | CNQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $36.44B | $98.11B |
Sector | Health | Energy |
52-Week High | $90.12 | $50.55 |
52-Week Low | $62.02 | $29.31 |
Enterprise Value | $40.28B | $108.54B |
Dividend Yield | 0.48% | 3.73% |
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.
Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) trades at $47.65, up 0.85% with strong technical momentum. The stock shows robust fundamentals with Q2 2026 EPS beating estimates at $1.53 versus $1.43 expected, continuing a trend of earnings outperformance. Valuation metrics remain attractive with P/E of 11.82 and EV/EBITDA of 6.35, while profitability metrics impress with 26.69% ROE and 22.87% net margin. Recent news highlights record production and dividend consistency.
CNQ presents a compelling investment case with strong operational performance, attractive valuation, and shareholder returns through dividends. The primary risks include oil price volatility and execution challenges in capital projects. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 27 buy ratings and no sell recommendations, supporting upside potential from current levels.
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 →Canadian Natural Resources is one of the largest oil and natural gas producers in western Canada, supplemented by operations in the North Sea and Offshore Africa. The company's portfolio includes light and medium oil, heavy oil, bitumen, synthetic oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas. Production averaged 1.16 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2020, and the company estimates that it holds over 11.5 billion boe of proven and probable crude oil and natural gas reserves.
Read more on CNQ →