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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Medical Instruments & Supplies

Carl Zeiss Meditec vs Align Technology: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Align Technology holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across growth and profitability. Carl Zeiss Meditec still leads on valuation and stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup broadly confirms the structural lead — Align Technology holds the more constructive position. That puts structure and market broadly in agreement — Align Technology's lead looks more confirmed than conflicted.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

The lead is spread across growth and profitability, rather than sitting in one isolated gap. Align Technology, Inc. leads by 12 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Medical Instruments & Supplies

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. AFX.DE and ALGN share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Carl Zeiss Meditec and Align Technology each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
AFX.DE
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
47
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh
vs
ALGN
Align Technology, Inc.
59
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: AFX.DE vs ALGN Profitability 35 75 Stability 24 4 Valuation 86 69 Growth 28 74 AFX.DE ALGN
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +46
#2 Profitability +40
#3 Stability +20
#4 Valuation +17
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AFX.DE and ALGN Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AFX.DEALGN Relative valuation Structural strength

Align Technology, Inc. occupies the cheaper side of the setup map, although Carl Zeiss Meditec AG still holds the stronger structural profile.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
On growth, Align Technology, Inc. ranks near the top of the group; Carl Zeiss Meditec AG sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
The same broad pattern appears on profitability: Align Technology, Inc. ranks near the top of the group, while Carl Zeiss Meditec AG stays in the weaker half.
Growth — Dominant Gap
AFX.DE
28
ALGN
74
Gap+46in favour of ALGN

One company is still expanding while the other is contracting, which creates a very wide growth split.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Stability still leans toward Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, so the lead is real without reading as one-way.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both growth and profitability — though valuation still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the AFX.DE vs ALGN comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how AFX.DE and ALGN each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.