What is Alcon Inc's earnings per share (EPS)?

Alcon Inc (ALC) reported diluted earnings per share of $7.27 for fiscal year 2010. This represents a 9.2% change compared to the previous fiscal year. EPS represents the portion of a company's net income allocated to each outstanding share of common stock and is widely used to evaluate profitability on a per-share basis.

Alcon Inc Financials

ALC

FY2010 annual

Revenue $7.2B +10.5% YoY

Net Income $2.2B +10.1% YoY

EPS (Diluted) $7.27 +9.2% YoY

Free Cash Flow $2.1B -0.4% YoY

Source SEC Filings (10-K/10-Q) Latest period FY2010, ended Dec 31, 2010 Reported Mar 18, 2011 Currency USD FYE December

Alcon Inc (ALC) reported $7.2B in revenue for fiscal year 2010, up 10.5% from the prior fiscal year. This page shows its income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and key financial ratios. View 4 years of annual fundamentals and quarterly data, with year-over-year growth rates and compound annual growth rates (CAGR). All figures are derived from SEC filings (10-K and 10-Q reports).

Rhea AI ALC FY2010 2026-08-30

Alcon's dominant mechanic is a high-margin, cash-generative model that expands while relying minimally on debt.

Asset efficiency softened: ROA slipped from 23.1% in FY2009 to 21.9% in FY2010 even as the business expanded, suggesting the growing asset base absorbed capital faster than earnings scaled. Stable net margins therefore make the expansion appear more productive than the asset returns alone support.

Cash conversion remained aligned with earnings: FY2010 operating cash flow exceeded net income at $2.375B versus $2.210B, indicating accounting profit translated into cash without a material conversion gap. After $309M of capital spending, free cash flow was still $2.066B, so reinvestment consumed only a modest share of internally generated cash.

The balance sheet became more self-funded: debt was eliminated by FY2010 while the current ratio rose from 2.4x in FY2008 to 3.4x. That combination indicates expansion was financed primarily through accumulated equity and internal cash generation rather than leverage.

Financial Health Signals

Financial health score not available

Alcon Inc does not currently provide enough eligible data for a peer-relative financial health score, so none is published. The signals and metrics below are current.

Altman Z-Score Safe

10.23

Alcon Inc scores 10.23, well above the 2.99 safe threshold. The score is driven primarily by a large market capitalization ($34.8B) relative to total liabilities ($2.8B). This indicates low bankruptcy risk based on profitability, leverage, and asset efficiency.

Distress-screening estimate for non-financial companies. Not computed for banks or insurers, where the Altman model does not apply.

Piotroski F-Score Neutral

6/9

Alcon Inc passes 6 of 9 financial strength tests. 3 of 4 profitability signals pass, 2 of 3 leverage/liquidity signals pass, 1 of 2 efficiency signals pass.

Earnings Quality Cash-Backed

1.07x

For every $1 of reported earnings, Alcon Inc generates $1.07 in operating cash flow ($2.4B OCF vs $2.2B net income). This indicates profits are well-supported by actual cash generation, not accounting adjustments.

Interest Coverage Safe

275.00x

Alcon Inc earns $275.00 in operating income for every $1 of interest expense ($2.5B vs $9.0M). This wide margin provides strong safety for debt servicing, even if earnings decline temporarily.

Key Financial Metrics

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Earnings & Revenue

Revenue

$7.2B

YoY+10.5%

Alcon Inc generated $7.2B in revenue in fiscal year 2010. This represents an increase of 10.5% from the prior year.

EBITDA

$2.7B

YoY+10.8%

Alcon Inc's EBITDA was $2.7B in fiscal year 2010, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. This represents an increase of 10.8% from the prior year.

Net Income

$2.2B

YoY+10.1%

Alcon Inc reported $2.2B in net income in fiscal year 2010. This represents an increase of 10.1% from the prior year.

EPS (Diluted)

$7.27

YoY+9.2%

Alcon Inc earned $7.27 per diluted share (EPS) in fiscal year 2010. This represents an increase of 9.2% from the prior year.

Cash & Balance Sheet

Free Cash Flow

$2.1B

YoY-0.4%

Alcon Inc generated $2.1B in free cash flow in fiscal year 2010, representing cash available after capex. This represents a decrease of 0.4% from the prior year.

Cash & Debt

$2.5B

YoY-16.0%

Alcon Inc held $2.5B in cash against $0 in long-term debt as of fiscal year 2010.

Shares Outstanding

302M

YoY+0.9%

Alcon Inc had 302M shares outstanding in fiscal year 2010. This represents an increase of 0.9% from the prior year.

Dividends Per Share

Not reported for fiscal year 2010.

Margins & Returns

Gross Margin

76.7%

YoY+1.5pp

Alcon Inc's gross margin was 76.7% in fiscal year 2010, indicating the percentage of revenue retained after direct costs. This is up 1.5 percentage points from the prior year.

Operating Margin

34.5%

YoY-0.3pp

Alcon Inc's operating margin was 34.5% in fiscal year 2010, reflecting core business profitability. This is down 0.3 percentage points from the prior year.

Net Margin

30.8%

YoY-0.1pp

Alcon Inc's net profit margin was 30.8% in fiscal year 2010, showing the share of revenue converted to profit. This is down 0.1 percentage points from the prior year.

Return on Equity

30.5%

YoY-3.5pp

Alcon Inc's ROE was 30.5% in fiscal year 2010, measuring profit generated per dollar of shareholder equity. This is down 3.5 percentage points from the prior year.

Capital Allocation

R&D Spending

$747.0M

YoY+12.3%

Alcon Inc invested $747.0M in research and development in fiscal year 2010. This represents an increase of 12.3% from the prior year.

Share Buybacks

$33.0M

YoY+371.4%

Alcon Inc spent $33.0M on share buybacks in fiscal year 2010, returning capital to shareholders by reducing shares outstanding. This represents an increase of 371.4% from the prior year.

Capital Expenditures

$309.0M

YoY-9.6%

Alcon Inc invested $309.0M in capex in fiscal year 2010, funding long-term assets and infrastructure. This represents a decrease of 9.6% from the prior year.

ALC Income Statement

Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type.

ALC quarterly income statement

Metric	FY10	FY09	FY08	FY07
Revenue	$7.2B+10.5%	$6.5B+3.3%	$6.3B+12.4%	$5.6B
Cost of Revenue	$1.7B+3.8%	$1.6B+9.6%	$1.5B+5.3%	$1.4B
Gross Profit	$5.5B+12.7%	$4.9B+1.3%	$4.8B+14.8%	$4.2B
R&D Expenses	$747.0M+12.3%	$665.0M+7.4%	$619.0M+9.8%	$564.0M
Operating Income	$2.5B+9.5%	$2.3B+2.2%	$2.2B+17.5%	$1.9B
Interest Expense	$9.0M-43.8%	$16.0M-68.6%	$51.0M+2.0%	$50.0M
Income Tax	$317.0M+3.6%	$306.0M+750.0%	$36.0M-89.5%	$343.0M
Net Income	$2.2B+10.1%	$2.0B-2.0%	$2.0B+29.1%	$1.6B
EPS (Diluted)	$7.27+9.2%	$6.66-1.9%	$6.79+29.3%	$5.25

Metric	Q4'10	Q3'10	Q2'10	Q1'10	Q4'09	Q3'09	Q2'09	Q1'09
Revenue	$1.8B+3.0%	$1.8B-6.7%	$1.9B+9.6%	$1.7B+0.3%	$1.7B+6.3%	$1.6B-3.8%	$1.7B+12.3%	$1.5B
Cost of Revenue	N/A	$422.0M-0.9%	$426.0M+8.7%	$392.0M	N/A	$399.0M-3.9%	$415.0M+17.2%	$354.0M
Gross Profit	N/A	$1.3B-8.4%	$1.5B+9.9%	$1.3B	N/A	$1.2B-3.7%	$1.3B+10.8%	$1.1B
R&D Expenses	N/A	$184.0M0.0%	$184.0M+8.9%	$169.0M	N/A	$158.0M+0.6%	$157.0M+7.5%	$146.0M
Operating Income	$576.0M+16.4%	$495.0M-34.1%	$751.0M+15.0%	$653.0M+21.6%	$537.0M-7.1%	$578.0M-8.5%	$632.0M+23.0%	$514.0M
Interest Expense	N/A	-$2.0M0.0%	-$2.0M+33.3%	-$3.0M	N/A	-$3.0M+40.0%	-$5.0M0.0%	-$5.0M
Income Tax	N/A	$56.0M-42.9%	$98.0M-4.9%	$103.0M	N/A	$79.0M+14.5%	$69.0M+11.3%	$62.0M
Net Income	$521.0M+16.8%	$446.0M-33.4%	$670.0M+16.9%	$573.0M+25.1%	$458.0M-11.1%	$515.0M-11.5%	$582.0M+28.8%	$452.0M
EPS (Diluted)	$1.71+16.3%	$1.47-33.5%	$2.21+16.9%	$1.89+25.2%	$1.51-11.7%	$1.71-11.9%	$1.94+28.5%	$1.51

Not reported in any period shown, so not listed: SG&A Expenses.

ALC Balance Sheet

Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type.

ALC quarterly balance sheet

Metric	FY10	FY09	FY08	FY07
Total Assets	$10.1B+16.0%	$8.7B+15.0%	$7.6B	N/A
Current Assets	$6.1B+4.0%	$5.8B+11.8%	$5.2B	N/A
Cash & Equivalents	$2.5B-16.0%	$3.0B+22.8%	$2.4B+14.8%	$2.1B
Inventory	$693.0M+10.7%	$626.0M+9.1%	$574.0M	N/A
Accounts Receivable	$1.5B+10.2%	$1.3B+15.2%	$1.2B	N/A
Goodwill	$833.0M+21.1%	$688.0M+6.7%	$645.0M	N/A
Total Liabilities	$2.8B+1.4%	$2.8B-2.8%	$2.9B	N/A
Current Liabilities	$1.8B-9.3%	$2.0B-9.8%	$2.2B	N/A
Long-Term Debt	$0-100.0%	$56.0M-8.2%	$61.0M	N/A
Total Equity	$7.3B+22.8%	$5.9B+25.9%	$4.7B+39.0%	$3.4B
Retained Earnings	$5.7B+25.9%	$4.5B+22.5%	$3.7B	N/A

Metric	Q4'10	Q3'10	Q2'10	Q1'10	Q4'09	Q3'09	Q2'09	Q1'09
Total Assets	$10.1B+6.5%	$9.5B+10.0%	$8.6B-6.7%	$9.2B+6.1%	$8.7B+6.5%	$8.2B+8.5%	$7.5B	N/A
Current Assets	$6.1B+8.3%	$5.6B+5.0%	$5.3B-12.9%	$6.1B+5.1%	$5.8B+10.6%	$5.3B+5.2%	$5.0B	N/A
Cash & Equivalents	$2.5B+15.0%	$2.2B-4.3%	$2.3B-26.7%	$3.1B+4.1%	$3.0B+19.4%	$2.5B+11.5%	$2.3B-26.9%	$3.1B
Inventory	$693.0M+0.1%	$692.0M+16.1%	$596.0M-2.6%	$612.0M-2.2%	$626.0M-4.6%	$656.0M+4.8%	$626.0M	N/A
Accounts Receivable	$1.5B+0.7%	$1.5B+4.4%	$1.4B-3.1%	$1.5B+8.2%	$1.3B+1.1%	$1.3B+1.0%	$1.3B	N/A
Goodwill	$833.0M-0.1%	$834.0M+20.9%	$690.0M-1.4%	$700.0M+1.7%	$688.0M-0.3%	$690.0M+7.0%	$645.0M	N/A
Total Liabilities	$2.8B+3.3%	$2.7B+6.2%	$2.6B-6.4%	$2.7B-1.2%	$2.8B+0.9%	$2.8B+0.6%	$2.7B	N/A
Current Liabilities	$1.8B+3.0%	$1.7B-2.6%	$1.8B-8.6%	$2.0B-1.2%	$2.0B+1.2%	$2.0B-5.6%	$2.1B	N/A
Long-Term Debt	$0	$0	$0	$0-100.0%	$56.0M-6.7%	$60.0M+5.3%	$57.0M	N/A
Total Equity	$7.3B+7.8%	$6.7B+11.6%	$6.0B-6.8%	$6.5B+9.5%	$5.9B+9.4%	$5.4B+13.0%	$4.8B	N/A
Retained Earnings	$5.7B+10.1%	$5.2B+9.4%	$4.7B-7.2%	$5.1B+12.6%	$4.5B+11.2%	$4.1B+10.6%	$3.7B	N/A

ALC Cash Flow Statement

Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type.

ALC quarterly cash flow statement

Metric	FY10	FY09	FY08	FY07
Operating Cash Flow	$2.4B-1.7%	$2.4B+18.9%	$2.0B+38.2%	$1.5B
Capital Expenditures	$309.0M-9.6%	$342.0M+13.2%	$302.0M+33.0%	$227.0M
Free Cash Flow	$2.1B-0.4%	$2.1B+19.9%	$1.7B+39.2%	$1.2B
Investing Cash Flow	-$1.7B-337.2%	-$390.0M-6.8%	-$365.0M-60.8%	-$227.0M
Financing Cash Flow	-$1.1B+22.3%	-$1.5B-11.1%	-$1.3B-119.6%	-$607.0M
Dividends Paid	$1.0B-1.0%	$1.0B+39.9%	$749.0M+22.2%	$613.0M
Share Buybacks	$33.0M+371.4%	$7.0M-94.5%	$127.0M-87.3%	$1.0B

Metric	Q4'10	Q3'10	Q2'10	Q1'10	Q4'09	Q3'09	Q2'09	Q1'09
Operating Cash Flow	$611.0M+34.6%	$454.0M-50.8%	$922.0M+137.6%	$388.0M-39.5%	$641.0M-2.9%	$660.0M-6.5%	$706.0M+72.6%	$409.0M
Capital Expenditures	$519.0M+663.2%	-$68.0M-6.8%	-$73.0M+5.8%	-$69.0M-87.9%	$568.0M+552.9%	-$87.0M0.0%	-$87.0M+67.3%	-$52.0M
Free Cash Flow	$92.0M-76.2%	$386.0M-54.5%	$849.0M+166.1%	$319.0M+337.0%	$73.0M-87.3%	$573.0M-7.4%	$619.0M+73.4%	$357.0M
Investing Cash Flow	-$356.0M+39.1%	-$585.0M-55.2%	-$377.0M+2.6%	-$387.0M-176.4%	-$140.0M+17.6%	-$170.0M+15.4%	-$201.0M-266.1%	$121.0M
Financing Cash Flow	$73.0M+231.8%	$22.0M+101.6%	-$1.4B-1180.3%	$127.0M+1007.1%	-$14.0M+94.1%	-$236.0M+82.5%	-$1.3B-1279.8%	$114.0M
Dividends Paid	$2.1B	$0	N/A	N/A	$2.1B	$0	N/A	N/A
Share Buybacks	$62.0M+264.7%	-$17.0M+466.7%	-$3.0M-66.7%	-$9.0M-25.0%	$12.0M	$0-100.0%	-$1.0M-75.0%	-$4.0M

ALC Financial Ratios

Margins and returns are percentages; the remaining ratios are unitless multiples.

ALC quarterly financial ratios

Metric	FY10	FY09	FY08	FY07
Gross Margin	76.7%+1.5pp	75.2%-1.4pp	76.6%+1.6pp	75.0%
Operating Margin	34.5%-0.3pp	34.8%-0.4pp	35.2%+1.5pp	33.6%
Net Margin	30.8%-0.1pp	30.9%-1.6pp	32.5%+4.2pp	28.3%
Return on Equity	30.5%-3.5pp	34.0%-9.7pp	43.6%-3.3pp	47.0%
Return on Assets	21.9%-1.2pp	23.1%-4.0pp	27.1%	N/A
Current Ratio	3.39+0.4x	2.95+0.6x	2.38	N/A
Debt-to-Equity	0.000.0x	0.010.0x	0.01	N/A
FCF Margin	28.8%-3.1pp	31.9%+4.4pp	27.5%+5.3pp	22.2%

Metric	Q4'10	Q3'10	Q2'10	Q1'10	Q4'09	Q3'09	Q2'09	Q1'09
Gross Margin	N/A	76.0%-1.4pp	77.4%+0.2pp	77.2%	N/A	75.3%0.0pp	75.3%-1.0pp	76.3%
Operating Margin	31.8%+3.7pp	28.1%-11.7pp	39.8%+1.9pp	37.9%+6.6pp	31.3%-4.5pp	35.8%-1.9pp	37.7%+3.3pp	34.4%
Net Margin	28.7%+3.4pp	25.3%-10.2pp	35.5%+2.2pp	33.3%+6.6pp	26.7%-5.2pp	31.9%-2.8pp	34.7%+4.4pp	30.3%
Return on Equity	7.2%+0.6pp	6.6%-4.5pp	11.1%+2.3pp	8.9%+1.1pp	7.8%-1.8pp	9.5%-2.6pp	12.2%	N/A
Return on Assets	5.2%+0.5pp	4.7%-3.1pp	7.8%+1.6pp	6.2%+1.0pp	5.3%-1.1pp	6.3%-1.4pp	7.7%	N/A
Current Ratio	3.39+0.2x	3.22+0.2x	2.99-0.2x	3.14+0.2x	2.95+0.3x	2.70+0.3x	2.43	N/A
Debt-to-Equity	0.000.0x	0.000.0x	0.000.0x	0.000.0x	0.010.0x	0.010.0x	0.01	N/A
FCF Margin	5.1%-16.8pp	21.9%-23.1pp	45.0%+26.5pp	18.5%+14.3pp	4.3%-31.2pp	35.5%-1.4pp	36.9%+13.0pp	23.9%

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Where Alcon Inc Ranks

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Alcon Inc's annual revenue?

Alcon Inc (ALC) reported $7.2B in total revenue for fiscal year 2010. This represents a 10.5% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Revenue measures the total income earned from the company's primary business operations before any expenses are deducted.

How fast is Alcon Inc's revenue growing?

Alcon Inc (ALC) revenue grew by 10.5% year-over-year, from $6.5B to $7.2B in fiscal year 2010.

Is Alcon Inc profitable?

Yes, Alcon Inc (ALC) reported a net income of $2.2B in fiscal year 2010, with a net profit margin of 30.8%.

What is Alcon Inc's EBITDA?

Alcon Inc (ALC) had EBITDA of $2.7B in fiscal year 2010, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

How much debt does Alcon Inc have?

As of fiscal year 2010, Alcon Inc (ALC) had $2.5B in cash and equivalents against $0 in long-term debt.

What is Alcon Inc's gross margin?

Alcon Inc (ALC) had a gross margin of 76.7% in fiscal year 2010, indicating the percentage of revenue retained after direct costs of goods sold.

What is Alcon Inc's operating margin?

Alcon Inc (ALC) had an operating margin of 34.5% in fiscal year 2010, reflecting the profitability of core business operations before interest and taxes.

What is Alcon Inc's net profit margin?

Alcon Inc (ALC) had a net profit margin of 30.8% in fiscal year 2010, representing the share of revenue converted into profit after all expenses.

What is Alcon Inc's return on equity (ROE)?

Alcon Inc (ALC) has a return on equity of 30.5% for fiscal year 2010, measuring how efficiently the company generates profit from shareholder equity.

What is Alcon Inc's free cash flow?

Alcon Inc (ALC) generated $2.1B in free cash flow during fiscal year 2010. This represents a -0.4% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Free cash flow represents the cash a company generates after accounting for capital expenditures, and is widely used to assess financial flexibility and shareholder value.

What is Alcon Inc's operating cash flow?

Alcon Inc (ALC) generated $2.4B in operating cash flow during fiscal year 2010, representing cash generated from core business activities.

What are Alcon Inc's total assets?

Alcon Inc (ALC) had $10.1B in total assets as of fiscal year 2010, including both current and long-term assets.

What are Alcon Inc's capital expenditures?

Alcon Inc (ALC) invested $309.0M in capital expenditures during fiscal year 2010, funding long-term assets and infrastructure.

How much does Alcon Inc spend on research and development?

Alcon Inc (ALC) invested $747.0M in research and development during fiscal year 2010.

Does Alcon Inc buy back shares?

Yes, Alcon Inc (ALC) spent $33.0M on share buybacks during fiscal year 2010, returning capital to shareholders by reducing shares outstanding.

How many shares does Alcon Inc have outstanding?

Alcon Inc (ALC) had 302M shares outstanding as of fiscal year 2010.

What is Alcon Inc's current ratio?

Alcon Inc (ALC) had a current ratio of 3.39 as of fiscal year 2010, which is generally considered healthy.

What is Alcon Inc's debt-to-equity ratio?

Alcon Inc (ALC) had a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.00 as of fiscal year 2010, measuring the company's financial leverage by comparing total debt to shareholder equity.

What is Alcon Inc's return on assets (ROA)?

Alcon Inc (ALC) had a return on assets of 21.9% for fiscal year 2010, measuring how efficiently the company uses its assets to generate profit.

What is Alcon Inc's Altman Z-Score?

Alcon Inc (ALC) has an Altman Z-Score of 10.23, placing it in the Safe Zone (low bankruptcy risk). The Z-Score combines five financial ratios (working capital, retained earnings, EBIT, market capitalization, and revenue relative to total assets) to predict the likelihood of bankruptcy. Scores above 2.99 indicate financial safety while scores below 1.81 suggest financial distress. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.

What is Alcon Inc's Piotroski F-Score?

Alcon Inc (ALC) has a Piotroski F-Score of 6 out of 9, indicating neutral financial health. The F-Score evaluates nine binary signals across profitability (positive ROA, positive cash flow, improving ROA, earnings quality), leverage (decreasing debt, improving liquidity, no share dilution), and operating efficiency (improving gross margin, improving asset turnover). Scores of 7 to 9 indicate strong and improving fundamentals. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.

Are Alcon Inc's earnings high quality?

Alcon Inc (ALC) has an earnings quality ratio of 1.07x, considered cash-backed (high quality). This ratio compares operating cash flow to net income. A ratio above 1.0x means the company generates more cash than its reported earnings, indicating sustainable, cash-backed profits. Ratios below 1.0x suggest earnings rely on accounting accruals rather than actual cash generation. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.

Can Alcon Inc cover its interest payments?

Alcon Inc (ALC) has an interest coverage ratio of 275.00x, meaning it can comfortably cover its interest obligations. This ratio divides operating income by interest expense. Ratios above 5x indicate strong debt-servicing ability, while ratios below 2x suggest the company may face difficulty meeting interest payments if earnings decline. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.