Alcon taps into key global eyecare trends

Article Excerpt

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis spun off Alcon in 2019. As we’ve said many times before, spinoffs are the closest thing you can find to a sure thing, regardless of the market’s rise and fall. Moreover, trends now underway—as well as Alcon’s strong position in its key markets—will drive future gains for this Power Buy. ALCON, $75.04, is a buy. The firm (New York symbol ALC; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.alcon.com; Shares outstanding: 499.7 million; Market cap: $37.1 billion; Dividend yield 0.3%) is the world’s biggest eye-care company. Specifically, it’s the leader in ocular surgical supplies and No. 2 in contact lenses. While Alcon is based in Switzerland, it’s headed by an American, reports results in U.S. dollars, and gets about 40% of its sales in that market. It also generates 25% of its revenue from emerging markets, one of the highest percentages among its competitors . Independent since 2019, the company produces ophthalmic surgical devices under various brands; that’s a rapidly expanding and lucrative market driven by…