ALGN vs BSX Stock Comparison
ALGN currently leads BSX in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 67 vs 55. The clearest difference is momentum.
What is the main difference between ALGN and BSX?
ALGN leads the current stock comparison as Align Technology, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Align Technology, Inc. vs Boston Scientific Corporation
ALGN leads
ALGN leads by 12 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the lead has widened from 3 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors BSX on target upside.
Stable: 4 of 6 evidence groups support ALGN, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Align Technology, Inc.
Boston Scientific Corporation
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors ALGN over BSX, 67 versus 55 as of Oct 31, 2026. ALGN's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and risk resilience. ALGN also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors BSX. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ALGN today, and the comparison is rated Stable on stability: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. ALGN lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 12 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Align Technology, Inc. and Boston Scientific Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price return from daily closes; distributions are not included.
Price return comparison
Growth of $10,000, price only
Split-adjusted closes only. Distributions are excluded, which understates the return of any fund or stock that pays them.
Compare ALGN and BSX against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum76 vs 43ALGN +33
- Risk Resilience58 vs 48ALGN +10
- Value62 vs 58ALGN +4
- Quality70 vs 67Even
4 of 6 evidence groups favor ALGN. ALGN’s edge is concentrated in momentum and risk resilience.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-28, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-27.
Largest factor move: Momentum -1
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 3 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum -16
New signals
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.55%)
- 52-Week Low Proximity — bearish, risk, long horizon (0.0%)
ALGN's lead widened by 4 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — ALGN and BSX both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
ALGN (Align Technology, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and risk resilience.
BSX (Boston Scientific Corporation): the counter-case, on fundamentals, analyst expectations — but at materially higher volatility, 32.9% against 23.9%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
ALGNALGN on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
ALGNALGN on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
ALGNALGN on the peer-relative Value factor, by 4 points.
Momentum
ALGNALGN on the Momentum factor, by 33 points.
Lower downside
ALGNALGN on Risk Resilience, by 10 points.
Analyst upside
BSXBSX on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors ALGN, analyst targets favor BSX. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | ALGN | BSX | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +28.4% | +53.5% | BSX has more room |
| Target dispersion | +27.5% | +63.6% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 6 | 19 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ALGN. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | ALGN | 67 vs 55 |
| Fundamentals | BSXon balance | revenue growth 1.5% vs 4.6%; EPS growth -4.4% vs -31.1%; TTM ROE 10.1% vs 14.9%; gross margin 66.5% vs 71.2%; operating margin 13.3% vs 21.5% — BSX takes 4 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | ALGN | Value 62 vs 58 |
| Technicals | ALGN | Price vs 50-day -0.6% vs -7%; vs 200-day -9.1% vs -25.6% |
| Risk Resilience | ALGN | Risk Resilience 58 vs 48 |
| Analyst expectations | BSX | Target upside 28.4% vs 53.5% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of ALGN and BSX and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion rests on a wide gap and broad agreement. It is unlikely to turn on a single session.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 12 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on ALGN.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 29 – Oct 28ALGN lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 12 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- ALGN +12
- 67 vs 55
- 7 sessions ago
- ALGN +4
- 68 vs 64
- 30 sessions ago
- ALGN +3
- 55 vs 52
- 90 sessions ago
- BSX +2
- 54 vs 56
The lead changed hands 6 times in this window, most recently on Oct 13 when ALGN moved ahead of BSX.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted
Only ALGN
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
1 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
Only BSX
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.55%)
- 52-Week Low Proximity — bearish, risk, long horizon (0.0%)
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Death Cross Active, MACD Bullish Crossover.
ALGN leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -2.49%, AIQ -1 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -1.66%, AIQ -5 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1BSX closes the Momentum gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to ALGN's edge.
- 2BSX's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3ALGN's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
BSX leads on balance| Metric | ALGN | BSX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 1.5% | 4.6% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -4.4% | -31.1% |
| Gross margin | 66.5% | 71.2% |
| Operating margin | 13.3% | 21.5% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 10.1% | 14.9% |
| Debt to equity | 0.03 | 0.51 |
Performance
ALGN leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | ALGN | BSX |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 1.5% | -4.7% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 5.7% | -2.8% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -11.4% | -7.8% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -13.9% | -25.8% |
| Year to date | -1.6% | -55.5% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 13.6% | -58% |
Technicals
ALGN has the stronger structure| Metric | ALGN | BSX |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 72.2 | 51.7 |
| ADX (14) | 24.1 | 17.2 |
| Price vs 50-day | -0.6% | -7% |
| Price vs 200-day | -9.1% | -25.6% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 23.9% | 32.9% |
Risk
ALGN is the more resilient| Metric | ALGN | BSX |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.3 | 0.13 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.46 | -2.14 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.79 | -2.37 |
| Max drawdown | -29.2% | -60.4% |
| Current drawdown | -22.2% | -59.6% |
| Annualized volatility | 39.3% | 38.9% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.6% | -3.9% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, ALGN or BSX?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, ALGN is the stronger of the two as of Oct 31, 2026, scoring 67 against BSX's 55. The edge comes from momentum and risk resilience. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is ALGN or BSX the better buy right now?
ALGN carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 31, 2026, and the comparison is rated Stable — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Stable rating means the gap is wide and the evidence is broad, so the conclusion is unlikely to turn on a single session.
Why does the AIQ Score favor ALGN over BSX?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. ALGN leads Momentum by 33 points; ALGN leads Risk Resilience by 10 points; ALGN leads Value by 4 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, ALGN or BSX?
Analyst price targets imply +28.4% upside for ALGN and +53.5% for BSX, so the Street currently favors BSX. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors ALGN. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, ALGN or BSX?
ALGN is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. ALGN on the peer-relative Value factor, by 4 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, ALGN or BSX?
ALGN on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, ALGN or BSX?
ALGN on the Momentum factor, by 33 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, ALGN or BSX?
ALGN is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. ALGN on Risk Resilience, by 10 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is ALGN more profitable than BSX?
BSX leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 66.5% vs 71.2%; operating margin 13.3% vs 21.5%; ttm roe 10.1% vs 14.9%.
Is ALGN's lead over BSX getting stronger or weaker?
ALGN lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 12 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-29 and 2026-10-28. The lead has changed hands 6 times in that window, most recently on 2026-10-13, when ALGN moved ahead of BSX.
What would change the ALGN vs BSX verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: BSX closes the Momentum gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to ALGN's edge; BSX's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; ALGN's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about ALGN and BSX?
ALGN: 1 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted. BSX: 1 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on ALGN is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On BSX it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare ALGN and BSX with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.