UBS lowers Alcon price target, maintains buy rating amid revised outlook By Investing.com

UBS has adjusted its stance on Alcon (NYSE:), reducing the price target for the healthcare company’s shares from CHF 82 to CHF 78, while maintaining a buy recommendation. The adjustment comes amid a more conservative forecast for 2024 but still anticipates double-digit returns in the medium term. Alcon has also updated its financial expectations for the current fiscal year, narrowing its core earnings per share (EPS) guidance to $2.70-$2.75 and revising its revenue estimates to a range of $9.3 billion to $9.4 billion.

This recalibration by UBS reflects a blend of caution and confidence in Alcon’s prospects. Despite scaling back its revenue forecast slightly, the investment bank’s endorsement of a buy rating suggests belief in the company’s fundamental strength and potential for growth. The revised earnings and revenue projections from Alcon provide a more precise picture of what investors can expect as the year comes to a close, pointing towards a prudent approach in their investment strategy.

InvestingPro Insights

UBS’s revised outlook on Alcon aligns with some key metrics and InvestingPro Tips that investors might find valuable. Alcon’s revenue growth has been on an uptrend, with a 6.66% increase over the last twelve months as of Q3 2023, and an even stronger quarterly growth rate of 8.83% in Q3 2023. This acceleration in revenue aligns with the investment bank’s confidence in Alcon’s growth potential.

Moreover, Alcon’s strong earnings, reflected in a gross profit of $5.15 billion and operating income of $944 million over the same period, support UBS’s view that the company is well-positioned to sustain dividend payments, having already increased its dividend for three consecutive years. This is further underscored by the company’s dividend growth of nearly 17% over the last twelve months.

While the P/E ratio seems high at 77.98, indicating a premium valuation, this may be justified by the company’s growth trajectory and the InvestingPro Tip that Alcon is expected to remain profitable this year, with net income projected to grow.

Investors looking for more in-depth analysis and additional InvestingPro Tips can find them with a subscription to InvestingPro, which is currently on a special Black Friday sale offering discounts of up to 55%. There are 11 more InvestingPro Tips available for Alcon, which could further inform investment decisions, including insights on the company’s debt levels, earnings multiples, and stock volatility.

InvestingPro’s fair value estimate of $67.75 also provides a benchmark for investors to compare against current and analyst target prices, offering a perspective on the stock’s potential overvaluation or undervaluation. With Alcon’s next earnings date set for February 27, 2024, these insights could be particularly timely for those looking to adjust their investment strategy accordingly.

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