ISRG vs ALC vs PODD Stock Comparison

Intuitive Surgical, Alcon and Insulet Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
ISRG Intuitive Surgical Inc
$445.88 +10.0% 1M -19.1% 1Y
Market cap
$154.54B
P/E
52.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$11.58B
Div. yield
–
Medical Devices Healthcare
3 wins
ALC Alcon Inc
$69.42 +7.7% 1M -8.8% 1Y
Market cap
$33.84B
P/E
53.2x
Revenue (TTM)
$10.80B
Div. yield
0.40%
Medical Devices Healthcare
3 wins
PODD Insulet Corp
$149.83 +10.1% 1M -54.0% 1Y
Market cap
$10.39B
P/E
27.7x
Revenue (TTM)
$3.05B
Div. yield
–
Medical Devices Healthcare
4 wins

Head to Head

10 decided of 12

Insulet leads on 4 of the 12 questions below (Insulet 4, Intuitive Surgical 3, Alcon 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionISRGALCPODDLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $154.54B $33.84B $10.39B ISRG
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 52.6x 53.2x 27.7x PODD
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 38.9x 21.6x 24.4x ALC
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +20.5% +8.5% +29.4% PODD
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 25.5% 6.0% 12.3% ISRG
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — 3.6% 16.9% PODD
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — — 0.7x –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield — 0.40% — –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -19.1% -8.8% -54.0% ALC
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +4.6%/yr -3.5%/yr -13.5%/yr ISRG
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 34.6% 28.6% 46.8% ALC
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 80/100 68/100 82/100 PODD

Percentile Scorecard

ISRGALCPODD

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisISRGALCPODD
Valuation 54 #106 of 227 79 #48 of 227 76 #55 of 227
Growth 80 #45 of 219 48 #114 of 219 95 #12 of 219
Profitability 98 #6 of 206 76 #50 of 206 96 #10 of 206
Financial Health 78 #53 of 238 60 #96 of 238 52 #114 of 238
Shareholder Returns 92 #12 of 134 74 #35 of 134 93 #10 of 134
Overall 80 68 82
  • ISRG ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics
  • ALC ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics
  • PODD ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodISRGALCPODDSPY
1 month +10.0%+7.7%+10.1% -0.2%
3 months +23.2%+0.4%-10.5% +3.9%
6 months -4.4%-7.9%-18.1% +8.2%
Year to date -21.3%-11.9%-47.3% +12.9%
1 year -19.1%-8.8%-54.0% +12.3%
3 years +72.2%-0.9%+12.3% +87.4%
3 years, per year +19.9%-0.3%+3.9% +23.3%
5 years +25.4%-16.1%-51.7% +67.9%
5 years, per year +4.6%-3.5%-13.5% +10.9%
10 years +505.1%—+304.2% +261.1%
10 years, per year +19.7%—+15.0% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureISRGALCPODDSPY
Volatility, 1Y 34.6%28.6%46.8% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 37.4%28.8%54.4% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.890.380.27 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.55-0.31-1.15 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -49.9%-38.4%-63.0% -25.4%
From 52-week high -24.8%-20.4%-56.7% -1.2%
52-week high $592.85$87.18$346.36 $779.14
52-week low $332.02$62.02$130.47 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleISRGALCPODD
P/E now vs peer median 52.6xmedian 29.6x 53.2xmedian 29.6x 27.7xmedian 29.6x
P/S now vs peer median 13.3xmedian 2.9x 3.1xmedian 2.9x 3.4xmedian 2.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 36.8xmedian 17.4x —median 17.4x 17.5xmedian 17.4x
P/FCF now vs peer median 43.0xmedian 22.3x 19.4xmedian 22.3x 35.4xmedian 22.3x
P/B now vs peer median 9.6xmedian 2.3x 1.6xmedian 2.3x 7.3xmedian 2.3x
PEG now vs peer median 2.05median 1.04 2.54median 1.04 0.34median 1.04

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsISRGALCPODD
Revenue $11.58B $10.80B $3.05B
Gross profit $7.78B $6.17B $2.17B
Operating income $3.28B $948.00M $515.80M
Net income $2.97B $643.00M $375.30M
Free cash flow $3.60B $1.74B $293.70M
R&D $1.49B $1.43B $345.90M
EPS (diluted) $8.41 $1.30 $5.41
Cash & equivalents $2.98B $1.36B $534.90M
Total debt – $4.72B $3.86B
Shares (diluted) 351.60M 496.20M 69.40M
Enterprise value $134.96B $24.80B $7.90B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricISRGALCPODD
P/E 52.6x 53.2x 27.7x
P/FCF 43.0x 19.4x 35.4x
P/Operating cash flow 37.8x 14.6x 20.3x
P/S 13.3x 3.1x 3.4x
P/B 9.6x 1.6x 7.3x
P/Tangible book 10.4x 2.5x 7.9x
EV/EBITDA 36.8x – 17.5x
EV/EBIT 45.8x 38.4x 20.9x
EV/Revenue 13.0x 3.4x 3.5x
EV/FCF 41.8x 20.9x 36.8x
EV/Operating cash flow 36.8x 15.8x 21.1x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 2.05 2.54 0.34

Growth

14 metrics
MetricISRGALCPODD
Revenue growth (1Y) 20.5% 8.5% 29.4%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 19.1% 5.9% 27.7%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 21.9% 11.7% 30.0%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 19.5% 7.3% 33.6%
Operating income growth (1Y) 16.6% -34.3% 26.6%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 24.8% 7.5% 82.3%
Net income growth (1Y) 7.5% -40.1% 59.0%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 24.4% 21.1% 81.4%
EPS growth (1Y) 10.8% -40.7% 61.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 25.7% 21.0% 82.0%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 38.1% 10.3% -0.9%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 26.4% 25.9% 49.9%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 58.4% 7.5% -27.5%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 42.0% 48.0% 113.5%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricISRGALCPODD
Gross margin 67.2% 57.2% 71.1%
EBITDA margin 35.3% – 20.2%
Operating margin 28.4% 8.8% 16.9%
Pretax margin 31.3% 6.9% 16.2%
Net margin 25.5% 6.0% 12.3%
FCF margin 31.1% 16.1% 9.6%
Operating cash flow margin 35.3% 21.4% 16.7%
Return on equity 17.3% 2.9% 27.6%
Return on assets 14.8% 2.1% 12.2%
Return on invested capital – 3.6% 16.9%
Return on capital employed 18.7% 3.4% 22.1%
Asset turnover 0.6x 0.3x 1.0x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.4x 3.6x 1.4x
Stock comp / revenue 7.2% 1.6% 2.6%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricISRGALCPODD
Debt / assets – 15.2% 30.0%
Debt / equity – 0.2x 0.7x
Net debt / EBITDA – – 0.7x
Debt / FCF – 2.7x 3.2x
Liabilities / assets 16.7% 30.6% 55.1%
Equity / assets 83.3% 69.4% 44.9%
Interest coverage – 9.2x 8.8x
Current ratio 3.3x 2.1x 2.5x
Quick ratio 2.3x 1.3x 1.5x
Cash ratio 1.6x 0.7x 0.7x
Altman Z-score 30.55 – 5.71

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricISRGALCPODD
Dividend yield – 0.4% –
Net buyback yield 2.8% 2.7% 2.9%
Shareholder yield 2.8% 3.1% 2.9%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusISRGALCPODD
Forward P/E 38.9xFY2026 21.6xFY2026 24.4xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $11.47FY2026 $3.22FY2026 $6.13FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +28.4%FY2026 +7.7%FY2026 +23.3%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +4.5% +15.5% +31.2%
Revenue, next fiscal year $11.60BFY2026 $10.50BFY2026 $3.41BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +15.3%FY2026 +4.3%FY2026 +25.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +11.3% +8.1% +7.6%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersISRGALCPODD
Held by institutions 86.2% 48.8% 100.0%
Institutions holding 2,235 629 724
Change in shares held, QoQ +4.6% +5.3% +3.0%
Institutions buying 1,070 225 419
Institutions selling 877 274 245
Buyers to sellers 1.22 0.82 1.71

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

ISRGALCPODD
ISRG 1.00 0.39 0.32
ALC 0.39 1.00 0.44
PODD 0.32 0.44 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ISRG, ALC and PODD?

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) is the largest by market capitalisation: Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) $154.54B, Alcon (ALC) $33.84B, Insulet (PODD) $10.39B.

Which stock is cheaper, ISRG, ALC and PODD?

Insulet (PODD) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 52.6x, Alcon (ALC) 53.2x, Insulet (PODD) 27.7x). On next year's consensus earnings, Alcon (ALC) is cheapest (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 38.9x, Alcon (ALC) 21.6x, Insulet (PODD) 24.4x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Insulet (PODD) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) +20.5%, Alcon (ALC) +8.5%, Insulet (PODD) +29.4%.

Which company is more profitable?

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) has the highest net margin (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 25.5%, Alcon (ALC) 6.0%, Insulet (PODD) 12.3%). On return on invested capital, Insulet (PODD) leads (Alcon (ALC) 3.6%, Insulet (PODD) 16.9%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Alcon (ALC) returned the most: Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) -19.1%, Alcon (ALC) -8.8%, Insulet (PODD) -54.0%. Over five years, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) compounded fastest (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) +4.6%/yr, Alcon (ALC) -3.5%/yr, Insulet (PODD) -13.5%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Alcon (ALC) 0.40%. Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) and Insulet (PODD) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Alcon (ALC) has been the steadiest (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 34.6%, Alcon (ALC) 28.6%, Insulet (PODD) 46.8%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, ISRG, ALC and PODD?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Insulet (PODD) leads on 4. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.