Reasons to Retain DENTSPLY SIRONA Stock in Your Portfolio Now

DENTSPLY SIRONA XRAY is well positioned for growth due to its new digital-implant workflow and continued focus on research and development. However, forex headwinds and demand softness in Europe remain a concern.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have gained 1.5% year to date against the industry's 4.5% decline. The S&P 500 Index fell 7.7% in the same time frame.

XRAY, with a market capitalization of $2.24 billion, is a global leader in the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of dental consumables, dental laboratory products, dental specialty products and consumable medical device products. It anticipates earnings to improve 5.9% over the next five years.

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Factors Favoring XRAY’s Growth

Strategic Reinvestment in R&D to Drive Long-Term Innovation: Management plans double-digit increases in R&D spending, targeting digital platforms (DS Core), implants, and orthodontics. This underscores a strategic shift toward innovation-led growth rather than relying solely on cost optimization.The company aims to accelerate previously delayed projects and enhance product ecosystems, particularly in connected dentistry workflows.

While benefits are expected beyond 2026, increased investment improves competitive positioning against emerging lower-cost players and supports pricing power in premium segments, reinforcing long-term revenue durability.

Dealer Network Expansion Enhancing Commercial Reach: New and expanded agreements with key distributors such as Patterson, Benco and Burkhart mark a strategic pivot toward a broader multichannel distribution model. This should improve market penetration, particularly in capital equipment (CTS segment), where dealer reach is critical.

Management expects these partnerships to contribute meaningfully from late 2026, creating a stronger sales pipeline. Combined with internal sales force restructuring, this hybrid model could significantly enhance U.S. growth trajectory, which remains a central pillar of the turnaround strategy.

Cost Restructuring and Promising Capital Allocation: The company is targeting $120 million in annual cost savings through restructuring, with funds reinvested into growth initiatives. The elimination of dividends reallocates ~$130 million annually toward debt reduction and share repurchases, signaling a more aggressive shareholder return strategy.

This shift, combined with improving operational discipline and working capital initiatives, positions Dentsply to enhance free cash flow generation over time, supporting both deleveraging and equity value creation.

Downsides for XRAY

Near-Term Revenue Decline Reflects Ongoing Business Weakness: The projected 1–3% operational sales decline in 2026 reflects ongoing near-term pressure from Byte headwinds, dealer inventory adjustments, and soft demand. Volume declines in key segments such as CAD/CAM and implants further reinforce this trend. Although management anticipates a second-half recovery, the weak base points to execution risk and a gradual recovery trajectory.

Margin Pressure From Tariffs, Mix and Volume Declines: Adjusted EBITDA margins declined due to gross margin compression (down nearly 300 bps), caused by tariffs, unfavorable product mix and lower volumes. Tariffs alone impacted gross profit by approximately $15 million in the fourth quarter and $23 million for the full year.

Continued exposure to external cost pressures, combined with increased R&D and commercial investments, could limit margin recovery in the near term, even as restructuring efforts aim to offset these headwinds.

Weakness in Core Segments, Particularly Implants and Orthodontics: Several core growth engines remain under pressure, including implants (declining volumes globally) and SureSmile aligners (down 10% in U.S. market). Competitive intensity, particularly from lower-cost providers, and changing demand dynamics in China are weighing on performance.

Management acknowledged that orthodontics will require longer-term investment, particularly in software modernization, indicating delayed recovery. Persistent underperformance in these segments could hinder overall revenue stabilization and dilute returns on increased investment.

DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. Price

DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. price | DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. Quote

XRAY’s Estimate Trend

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 revenues is pegged at $3.57 billion, indicating a 2.9% decrease from the 2025 level.

The consensus mark for adjusted earnings per share is pinned at $1.43 for 2026, indicating a 10.6% year-over-year decline.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are McKesson MCK, Align Technology ALGN and Cardinal Health CAH.

McKesson, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has an estimated long-term growth rate of 15.9%. MCK’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 3.60%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

McKesson’s shares have gained 5.5% against the industry’s 4.5% decline year to date.

Align Technology, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an estimated long-term growth rate of 10.1%. ALGN’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 6.16%.

ALGN’s shares have climbed 9.8% against the industry’s 4.5% declin so far this year.

Cardinal Health, currently carrying a Zacks Rank of 2, has an estimated long-term growth rate of 15%. CAH’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 9.3%.

CAH’s shares have gained 2.2% against the industry’s 4.5% decline so far this year.

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Align Technology, Inc. (ALGN): Free Stock Analysis Report

Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH): Free Stock Analysis Report

McKesson Corporation (MCK): Free Stock Analysis Report

DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. (XRAY): Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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