Eye care company Alcon raises margin outlook, shares jump

By Simon Ferdinand Eibach

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Swiss-American eye care company Alcon hiked its 2026 profitability target on Monday, helped by U.S. tariff refunds, which sent its shares around 4% higher in the first hour of Tuesday trading.

A global leader in the eye care market, Alcon made 45% of its net sales in the United States in the first half of 2026. Most of its major production facilities are also located there.

The shares were on top of Europe's benchmark Stoxx 600 index as of 0755 GMT.

• Core operating profit margin expected to grow by 90-190 basis points in 2026, instead of the previously guided 70-170 bps rise.

• The hike was driven by improved margin performance in the Equipment and Ocular Health divisions.

• Alcon now sees a lower full-year tariff impact of $40 million to $90 million, factoring in an anticipated refund of around $60 million.

• It also hiked its guidance for core diluted earnings per share for the second time this year, from 10-13% to 12-15% growth.

• "Alcon demonstrates positive strategic direction," Vontobel analysts said, pointing to improving margins and the recent collaboration with lens-manufacturer RxSight.

• Q2 net sales rose 7.9% from a year ago to $2.78 billion, narrowly beating LSEG-compiled consensus.

(Reporting by Simon Ferdinand Eibach in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)