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Cardinal Health (CAH)
NYSE:CAH
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Cardinal Health (CAH) AI Stock Analysis

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CAH

Cardinal Health

(NYSE:CAH)

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Neutral 65 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:65Neutral
Price Target:
$253.00
▲(6.34% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:08/17/26
CAH scores 65 primarily due to solid operating momentum and strong cash generation, supported by upbeat FY27 guidance and continued capital returns. These positives are tempered by meaningful balance-sheet risk (negative equity and higher debt) and a less attractive valuation (high P/E with a modest dividend yield).
Positive Factors
Strong revenue and profit growth
Cardinal’s scale across pharmaceutical distribution, specialty care and other healthcare businesses is translating into broad-based growth. Sustained volume, mix and operating improvements can support durable earnings expansion over the next several quarters.
Negative Factors
Negative equity and rising debt
The persistent negative equity position and higher debt weaken balance-sheet resilience and reduce financial flexibility. In a structurally low-margin business, elevated leverage can constrain investment capacity and increase exposure to financing or operating setbacks.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Strong revenue and profit growth
Cardinal’s scale across pharmaceutical distribution, specialty care and other healthcare businesses is translating into broad-based growth. Sustained volume, mix and operating improvements can support durable earnings expansion over the next several quarters.
Read all positive factors

Cardinal Health Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Profit by Segment
Profit by Segment
Shows profitability across different business units, highlighting which areas drive earnings and where there might be challenges or opportunities for growth.
Chart InsightsPharmaceutical profit shows durable multi-year improvement and clear operational gearing — management’s raised, narrowed Pharma profit guidance and cited quarter-to-quarter momentum imply much of the upside is sustainable. That said, the series contains dramatic late‑2025 spikes in both Pharma and Medical that read like one‑time accounting or deal-related items; Medical remains volatile and low‑margin otherwise. For valuation, focus on the steady Pharma run‑rate and cash‑flow improvement, but watch tariff/refund uncertainty, SG&A/interest pressure and revenue‑mix risks that could swing short‑term profits.
Data provided by:The Fly

Cardinal Health (CAH) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Cardinal Health Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description
Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as a global, integrated provider of healthcare services and products, with its reach spanning the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and other international markets. The company delivers bespoke support to a divers...
How the Company Makes Money
Cardinal Health makes money primarily by purchasing pharmaceuticals and medical products from manufacturers and distributing them to healthcare providers, earning a margin (spread) between its acquisition cost and selling price, plus fees for valu...

Cardinal Health Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Aug 11, 2026
(Q4-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Oct 30, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call emphasized strong, broad-based fiscal '26 performance across revenue, profit, EPS (Q4 EPS +40% YoY) and cash flow ($5B adjusted FCF), with clear operational momentum in Pharma, Specialty and Other growth businesses and disciplined capital return (share buybacks and increased repurchase authorization). Key risks highlighted include reliance on a nonrecurring $100M IEEPA tariff refund that materially boosted GMPD profitability and $0.31 of Q4 EPS, input cost pressures (fuel and commodity resins), regulatory headwinds (IRA/340B impacts ~500 bps mentioned), and expected near-term cadence softness (Q1 FY27 headwind). Overall, positives around scale, cash generation, segment momentum and reconfirmed long‑term targets materially outweigh the transitory and manageable challenges discussed.
Positive Updates
Strong FY26 Financial Results
Full-year revenue $254B (+14% YoY); gross margin $9.8B (+20% YoY); total operating earnings $3.6B (+30% YoY); adjusted free cash flow $5.0B for the year.
Negative Updates
GMPD Revenue Decline and One-Time Tariff Effect
GMPD Q4 revenue $3.1B (down 2% YoY), impacted by expected payables to customers tied to the anticipated IEEPA tariff refund; the $100M net IEEPA refund is nonrecurring and contributed ~$0.31 EPS (~15 percentage points of the reported 40% Q4 EPS growth).
Read all updates
Q4-2026 Updates
Negative
Strong FY26 Financial Results
Full-year revenue $254B (+14% YoY); gross margin $9.8B (+20% YoY); total operating earnings $3.6B (+30% YoY); adjusted free cash flow $5.0B for the year.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Cardinal guided fiscal 2027 non‑GAAP EPS of $12.40–$12.60 (13–15% growth off a $10.95 baseline that excludes the $0.31 IEEPA tariff benefit) and reconfirmed long‑term EPS growth of 12–14% per year; segment guidance calls for Pharma revenue growth of 3–5% and Pharma profit growth of 8–11% (with 2–3 percentage points of profit contribution from announced M&A and Q1 Pharma profit expected near the high end due to Solaris), GMPD revenue growth of 2–4% and segment profit of $200–$220 million (≈$50M growth ex‑IEEPA, H2‑weighted with Q1 roughly half of prior Q1 on FX and purchase timing), and Other businesses revenue growth of 11–13% with profit up 15–18% (including ~2 points of profit from the Strive and AdaptHealth tuck‑ins); below the line, interest and other expense is expected to be $240–$290M, the effective tax rate 19–20%, adjusted free cash flow $3.5–$4.0B, CapEx ~$700M, at least $1B of share repurchases (implying ~233M diluted shares), no material M&A assumed but modest tuck‑in capacity retained, and liquidity supported by a new $4B revolver.

Cardinal Health Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Operating performance and cash generation are solid (FY26 revenue up to $254.2B, net income $1.7B; operating cash flow $5.2B and free cash flow $4.5B in 2026). The major drag is balance-sheet risk: stockholders’ equity remains negative (-$2.9B in 2026) and debt has risen to ~$9.9B, reducing financial flexibility in a structurally low-margin business.
Income Statement
67
Positive
Balance Sheet
32
Negative
Cash Flow
74
Positive
BreakdownJun 2026Jun 2025Jun 2024Jun 2023Jun 2022
Income Statement
Total Revenue254.25B222.58B226.83B204.98B181.33B
Gross Profit9.77B8.17B7.41B6.89B6.48B
EBITDA3.48B3.11B1.96B1.44B55.00M
Net Income1.71B1.56B852.00M330.00M-938.00M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets57.30B53.12B45.12B43.35B43.88B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments4.86B3.87B5.13B4.08B4.72B
Total Debt9.95B9.35B5.61B5.18B5.80B
Total Liabilities60.02B55.76B48.33B46.31B44.58B
Stockholders Equity-2.88B-2.78B-3.21B-2.96B-709.00M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow4.53B1.85B3.25B2.36B2.73B
Operating Cash Flow5.17B2.40B3.76B2.84B3.12B
Investing Cash Flow-2.58B-5.61B-1.85B-454.00M567.00M
Financing Cash Flow-1.60B1.95B-847.00M-3.05B-2.46B

Cardinal Health Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price237.92
Price Trends
50DMA
232.33
Positive
100DMA
217.46
Positive
200DMA
213.80
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
1.38
Positive
RSI
57.70
Neutral
STOCH
70.34
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CAH, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 237.92 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 234.48, above the 50-day MA of 232.33, and above the 200-day MA of 213.80, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.38 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 57.70 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 70.34 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for CAH.

Cardinal Health Risk Analysis

Cardinal Health disclosed 13 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Cardinal Health reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Cardinal Health Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
77
Outperform
$2.44B14.539.22%-1.36%-16.45%
70
Outperform
$62.60B24.24106.43%0.76%5.09%38.10%
69
Neutral
$9.99B26.1212.37%6.49%10.41%
66
Neutral
$105.52B23.89-194.39%0.39%8.84%48.98%
65
Neutral
$55.33B32.79-59.73%0.90%14.23%12.28%
51
Neutral
$7.86B-0.30-43.30%2.27%22.53%-2.21%
* Healthcare Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
CAH
Cardinal Health
238.40
90.70
61.40%
COR
Cencora
327.79
39.43
13.67%
HSIC
Henry Schein
90.38
21.40
31.02%
MCK
McKesson
896.65
215.91
31.72%
PBH
Prestige Consumer Healthcare
52.15
-14.81
-22.12%

Cardinal Health Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackFinancial Disclosures
Cardinal Health Posts Strong Fiscal 2026 Results, Boosts Outlook
Positive
Aug 11, 2026
On August 11, 2026, Cardinal Health reported strong fourth quarter and full-year fiscal 2026 results, highlighted by 6% quarterly revenue growth to $63.7 billion and a 70% jump in GAAP diluted EPS to $1.70. Non-GAAP diluted EPS for the quarter ros...
Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
Cardinal Health Restructures Credit Facilities and Financing Programs
Neutral
Aug 11, 2026
On August 7, 2026, Cardinal Health terminated a five-year revolving credit facility established in February 2023 that provided $2.0 billion in liquidity, as well as a separate 364-day revolving credit facility from October 2025 that offered an add...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Cardinal Health appoints new Chief Accounting Officer
Positive
Aug 5, 2026
On August 4, 2026, Cardinal Health appointed Anita Zielinski as Chief Accounting Officer, effective November 5, 2026, succeeding Mary Scherer, who will remain in the role until that date to ensure continuity. Zielinski will join the company as Sen...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Aug 17, 2026