ALC vs MDLN: Alcon AG and Medline compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- Alcon AG is the larger company, worth $31.4B, close to Medline's $28.5B.
- Medline grew revenue faster over the last year (+11.5% vs +4.9%).
- Alcon AG keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (13.1% vs 7.8%).
- Medline's price assumes faster free cash flow growth: about 6% a year, against 5% for Alcon AG (reverse DCF).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | ALC | MDLN |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $31.4B | $28.5B |
| Share price | $64.11 | $36.26 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $10.4B | $28.4B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | $1.6B | $1.3B |
| Revenue growth, last year | +4.9% | +11.5% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | +5.8% | +10.6% |
| Operating margin | 13.1% | 7.8% |
| Net margin | 9.4% | 4.1% |
| Return on equity | 4.4% | 10.0% |
| P/E (trailing) | 32.4x | — |
| Price / free cash flow | 18.1x | 16.4x |
| EV / EBITDA | 13.5x | 13.1x |
| FCF growth the price implies | 4.7% | 6.2% |
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.42x | 1.75x |
| Fundamental grade | C | C |
| Superinvestors holding it | 5 | 4 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 0 | 2 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
Alcon AG
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $8.3B | $165M | 7.0% |
| 2022 | $8.7B | $472M | 7.7% |
| 2023 | $9.5B | $537M | 11.0% |
| 2024 | $9.9B | $1.4B | 14.3% |
| 2025 | $10.4B | $1.6B | 13.1% |
Medline
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $23.2B | $1.4B | 5.4% |
| 2024 | $25.5B | $1.4B | 8.4% |
| 2025 | $28.4B | $1.3B | 7.8% |
Where the revenue comes from
Alcon AG · by segments, 2025
Surgical$5.8B56%
Vision Care$4.6B44%
Medline · by segments, 2025
Supply Chain Solutions$14.7B52%
Medline Brand$13.7B48%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open ALC in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, Alcon AG or Medline?
Alcon AG (ALC), at $31.4B against $28.5B.
Which grows faster, ALC or MDLN?
Medline: revenue grew +11.5% over the last year, against +4.9%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.