TipRanks
Go Ultimate55% OFF

Cencora (COR) AI Stock Analysis

1,186 Followers
COR

Cencora

(NYSE:COR)

Select Model
Rating:67Neutral
Price Target:$369.00â–²(4.24% Upside)
Action:downgraded
Date:11/04/26

COR’s score is driven by strong operating performance and supportive cash generation, tempered by elevated leverage on the balance sheet. Technicals add support with a clear uptrend and positive momentum. Valuation is a moderate offset given a mid‑20s P/E and low dividend yield, while the earnings call was upbeat but highlighted slower headline growth and higher interest expense into FY27.

Positive Factors
Record operating performanceRecord operating income and earnings growth indicate that Cencora is converting its large distribution platform into improving profitability. The combination of scale, stronger execution, and better earnings conversion supports continued investment and reinforces the company’s ability to compound results over multiple quarters.
Negative Factors
Elevated leverageCencora’s debt-heavy capital structure increases sensitivity to interest costs, refinancing conditions, and working-capital swings. Although equity has improved from negative levels, elevated leverage can constrain financial flexibility and make acquisitions or shareholder returns more dependent on sustained cash generation.

Cencora Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Revenue by SegmentShows how sales are split across the company’s business lines (e.g., distribution versus higher-margin services), revealing which units drive growth and where the company is most exposed to pricing pressure, customer concentration, or regional risk.

-$20.00B$0.00$20.00B$40.00B$60.00B$80.00BMar 21Jun 21Sep 21Dec 21Mar 22Jun 22Sep 22Dec 22Mar 23Jun 23Sep 23Dec 23Mar 24Jun 24Sep 24Dec 24Mar 25Jun 25Sep 25Dec 25Mar 26Jun 26
Chart Insights

U.S. Healthcare remains the revenue engine but is showing near‑term top‑line pressure from WAC price cuts, account losses and faster branded mail‑order conversions; that weakness is being offset by accelerating International and a newly reported Other bucket (post‑OneOncology) that carry better margins. Management raised operating income and EPS guidance despite lowering revenue growth, so the story is margin and cash‑flow driven rather than pure top‑line expansion. The large rise in intersegment eliminations flags acquisition consolidation and makes segment comparability noisier — focus on margins and FCF.

Data provided by:The Fly

Cencora (COR) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-30%-20%-10%0%10%20%COR-1.11%SPY+15.63%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
Market Cap
$64.98B
Dividend Yield
0.68%
Average Volume (3M)
1.31M
Price to Earnings (P/E)
19.7
Beta (1Y)
0.07
Revenue Growth
5.09%
EPS Growth
38.10%
Country
US
Employees
49,000
Sector
Healthcare
Sector Strength
51
Industry
Medical - Distribution

Cencora Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Cencora, Inc. functions as a global leader in the sourcing and distribution of pharmaceutical products, with operations spanning both the United States and international markets. Within its U.S. Healthcare Solutions segment, the company supplies a br...

How the Company Makes Money

Cencora makes money primarily by acting as an intermediary in the pharmaceutical supply chain and by providing value-added services to drug manufacturers and providers. (1) Pharmaceutical distribution (core revenue stream): Cencora purchases branded...

Cencora Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 03, 2026(Q4-2026)|% Change Since:3.96%|Next Earnings Date:Feb 02, 2027
Earnings Call SentimentPositive

The call was predominantly positive, with record fiscal 2026 results, strong fourth-quarter growth, expanding specialty capabilities, positive performance from OneOncology and RCA, robust free cash flow, and above-algorithm specialty guidance. The main challenges were lower consolidated growth expected in fiscal 2027, customer volume and foreign-exchange headwinds, manufacturer price reductions, higher interest expense, and the financial impact of portfolio divestitures and the expected Covetrus merger.

Positive Updates

Record Fiscal 2026 Results
Cencora delivered another year of record results, including adjusted operating income growth of 14% and adjusted diluted EPS of $17.97, up 12%.

Negative Updates

Revenue Growth Headwinds from Manufacturer Price Reductions and Mail Order
U.S. Healthcare Solutions revenue growth was partially offset by manufacturer list-price reductions, which represented a $2.8 billion headwind to revenue growth, and by lower sales to a large mail-order customer.

Company Guidance

For fiscal 27, Cencora expects adjusted diluted EPS to be in the range of $19.40 to $19.75, reflecting headline growth of 8% to 10%; excluding the assumed $0.35 impact of the mid fiscal year merger of MWI and Covetrus, adjusted EPS growth would be 10% to 12%. Consolidated revenue growth is expected to be in the range of 3% to 5%, operating income growth in the range of 4% to 6%, and excluding the businesses in other, adjusted operating income growth would be 8.5% to 11%; interest expense is expected to be in the range of $490 million to $510 million, the effective tax rate approximately 20%, full year diluted average shares outstanding approximately 190 million shares, additional fiscal 27 repurchases $1.25 billion, capital expenditures $1 billion, and adjusted free cash flow approximately $3.5 billion. Pharmaceutical distribution and services revenue growth is expected to be in the range of 4% to 6% and operating income growth 2% to 4%, including an approximate $20 million headwind related to the European distribution business; specialty pharmaceutical and provider services revenue growth is expected to be in the range of 9% to 14% and operating income growth in the range of 18% to 21%; revenue in other is expected to be approximately $3.5 billion and operating income in Other approximately $200 million; adjusted diluted EPS in the first quarter is expected to be approximately $4.55.

Cencora Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Income statement is strong (74) with durable revenue growth and improved recent profitability, and cash flow is supportive (63) with solid free cash flow generation. The main drag is balance-sheet risk (48): leverage remains elevated versus equity despite improvement, increasing sensitivity to funding costs and working-capital swings.

Income Statement

74Positive

Balance Sheet

48Neutral

Cash Flow

63Positive
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMSep 2026Sep 2025Sep 2024Sep 2023Sep 2022
Income Statement
Total Revenue337.40B337.40B321.33B293.96B262.17B238.59B
Gross Profit13.34B13.87B10.14B8.70B7.76B7.60B
EBITDA6.16B6.12B3.75B3.37B3.42B3.12B
Net Income3.48B3.48B1.55B1.51B1.75B1.70B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets87.10B87.10B76.59B67.10B62.56B56.56B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments4.88B4.88B4.39B3.23B2.69B3.53B
Total Debt11.27B11.27B10.75B6.65B6.82B7.59B
Total Liabilities83.42B83.42B74.84B66.31B61.89B56.49B
Stockholders Equity3.68B3.68B1.51B645.94M522.00M-211.56M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow3.88B3.88B3.21B3.00B3.45B2.21B
Operating Cash Flow4.79B4.79B3.88B3.48B3.91B2.70B
Investing Cash Flow-5.80B-5.80B-4.98B-618.10M-2.60B-368.44M
Financing Cash Flow1.65B1.65B2.25B-2.33B-2.22B-1.75B

Cencora Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentPositive
Last Price354.00

Price Trends

50DMA324.63Positive
100DMA314.18Positive
200DMA316.16Positive

Market Momentum

MACD5.25Negative
RSI71.19Negative
STOCH84.06Negative

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For COR, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 354.00 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 334.27, above the 50-day MA of 324.63, and above the 200-day MA of 316.16, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 5.25 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 71.19 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 84.06 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for COR.

Cencora Risk Analysis

Cencora disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Cencora reported the most risks in the "Legal & Regulatory" category.

Higher RiskSector Avg.Lower RiskFinance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Legal & Regulatory - Litigation, compliance, new legislation, and taxation risks

Latest Risks Added

0 New Risks

Cencora Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)

Financial Indicators

COR against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
GRDNGRDN76Outperform$2.59B40.0930.80%―10.31%―
MCKMCK75Outperform$116.55B27.36-194.39%0.32%8.84%48.98%
PBHPBH72Outperform$2.35B14.849.22%―-1.36%-16.45%
CAHCAH69Neutral$58.57B36.03-59.73%0.78%14.23%12.28%
CORCOR67Neutral$64.98B19.68115.76%0.68%5.09%38.10%
HSICHSIC65Neutral$9.19B23.9113.13%―6.15%15.68%
Sector *51Neutral$7.86B-0.30-43.30%2.27%22.53%-2.21%

* Healthcare Sector Average

Performance Comparison

-20%0%20%40%60%CORCAHHSICMCKPBHGRDNDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
COR and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
CORCencora, Inc.354.00-3.51-0.98%
CAHCardinal Health261.9365.7933.54%
HSICHenry Schein88.2418.1825.95%
MCKMcKesson Corporation1069.44214.2025.05%
PBHPrestige Consumer Healthcare53.28-8.08-13.17%
GRDNGuardian Pharmacy Services, Inc. Class A42.0913.6047.74%

Cencora Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures

Cencora Reports Revised Segment Information Following Operating Model Restructuring

Neutral
Nov 4, 2026

Cencora recently completed a restructuring of its operating model to strengthen execution and improve visibility, reorganizing business components into Pharmaceutical Distribution and Services, Specialty Pharmaceutical and Provider Services, and Othe...

Business Operations and StrategyDividendsFinancial Disclosures

Cencora Reports Strong Fourth-Quarter Revenue and Earnings Growth

Positive
Nov 4, 2026

On November 4, 2026, Cencora reported fourth-quarter revenue of $88.4 billion, up 5.5%, and fiscal-year revenue of $337.4 billion, up 5.0%, for periods ended September 30, 2026. Fourth-quarter GAAP diluted EPS was $2.71, versus a loss of $1.75 a year...

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions

Cencora to Acquire American Oncology Network in Expansion

Positive
Oct 21, 2026

On October 21, 2026, Cencora announced a definitive agreement to acquire American Oncology Network, valuing the physician-led community oncology platform at $2.4 billion and expanding its management services organization footprint into 12 additional...

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes

Cencora Adds Independent Director to Support Growth Strategy

Positive
Sep 25, 2026

On September 24, 2026, Cencora’s Board of Directors elected Robert E. Sanchez as a new independent director, effective October 1, 2026, expanding the Board from ten to eleven members. Sanchez will receive standard non-employee director compensa...

Executive/Board Changes

Cencora Announces Resignation of Board Member Lorence Kim

Neutral
Aug 14, 2026

On August 13, 2026, Cencora, Inc. announced that Board member Lorence H. Kim, M.D., resigned from the company’s Board of Directors effective immediately following the conclusion of its quarterly Board meeting. His departure is linked to his app...

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures

Cencora Reaffirms 2026 EPS Outlook Amid Walgreens Shift

Positive
Aug 12, 2026

Beginning July 1, 2026, certain Walgreens volume that had been serviced by Cencora outside its prime vendor agreement started moving to other providers, though the core prime vendor contract remained unchanged and continues to account for most of Cen...

Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing

Cencora Expands Credit Facilities to Bolster Liquidity

Positive
Aug 5, 2026

On July 31, 2026, Cencora, Inc. and subsidiary Innomar Strategies Inc. amended and restated their multi-currency senior unsecured revolving credit facility, increasing lender commitments from $5.5 billion to $7.0 billion and extending the maturity to...

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackFinancial DisclosuresLegal ProceedingsM&A Transactions

Cencora Raises 2026 EPS Outlook After Strong Quarter

Positive
Aug 5, 2026

In the fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2026, Cencora reported revenue of $84.8 billion, up 5.1 percent year on year, driven by growth in both U.S. and international healthcare solutions. GAAP diluted EPS rose to $3.94 from $3.52, while adjusted d...

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: Nov 04, 2026