Long-term trends boost Alcon

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. The stock is already up over 99% from its March 2020 low, but we think it can go much higher. Trends now underway—as well as Alcon’s strong position in its key markets—will power those gains. We continue to recommend this stock as a Power Buy. ALCON, $80.35, is a buy. The firm (New York symbol ALC; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.alcon.com; Shares outstanding: 499.7 million; Market cap: $40.0 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 40% of its sales in that market. It also generates 25% of its revenues from emerging markets, one of the highest percentages among…