Where it trades today
trading 71% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- The read on the stock is often driven by pipeline durability, reimbursement pressure, and whether new launches can offset patent cliffs.
- CAH trades at 31.2x earnings, well above the healthcare average of 22.0x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- CAH carries a beta of 0.52, which means the stock should be judged on how it affects total portfolio swings, not just on standalone upside.
- Relative performance versus UNH, JNJ, PFE matters here because leadership inside healthcare rarely stays static for long.
Portfolio Use Case
- CAH is more useful for investors comparing conviction names inside healthcare than for someone looking for a passive “set and forget” holding.
- The beta profile suggests it can fit a quality or lower-volatility sleeve more naturally than a high-octane tactical basket.
- The stock becomes more useful when paired with an explicit catalyst watchlist, because sector sentiment can shift quickly around policy, rates, or pipeline news.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in CAH.
- Volatility is already above the sector norm, so even a correct long-term thesis can be painful if the position size is too aggressive.
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as UNH, JNJ, PFE start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for CAH come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Healthcare so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as UNH, JNJ, PFE.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for CAH. Last refresh: Sep 18, 2026, 10:56 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as UNH, JNJ, PFE.
What Cardinal Health does
Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as a healthcare services and products company in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments: Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions, and Global Medical Products and Distribution. The company offers customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home. It distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products. The company also provides services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers for specialty pharmaceutical products; pharmacy management…
Employees
58,788
Industry
Medical Distribution
Headquarters
Dublin, United States
What analysts expect
CAH carries a strong buy consensus from 16 analysts, with an average price target of $270.94 versus $225.38 today (+20.2%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
CAH generated $254.25B in trailing revenue (5.8% year over year), with a 0.7% net margin, and $4.75B of free cash flow, against $5.14B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $254.25B | $9.77B | $3.17B | $1.71B | $7.27 | $4.53B |
| 2025 | $222.58B | $8.17B | $2.32B | $1.56B | $6.48 | $1.85B |
| 2024 | $226.83B | $7.41B | $2.13B | $852.00M | $3.48 | $3.25B |
| 2023 | $204.98B | $6.87B | $1.79B | $330.00M | $1.00 | $2.36B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
How it sits in healthcare
Defensive sector including pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, and healthcare services.
The companies it competes with
CAH beside the healthcare names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Cardinal Health trades at $225.38, 12.7% below its 52-week high. With a beta of 0.52, it shows less sensitivity to what the wider market does.
Questions people ask about it
Is CAH a good buy right now?
Cardinal Health trades at 31.2x earnings. This is above market average, reflecting growth expectations. Current risk level is Medium based on 23.3% volatility.
Does CAH pay dividends?
Yes, Cardinal Health offers a dividend yield of 0.91%. That is roughly $2.05 per share a year.
How volatile is CAH?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 23.3% and beta of 0.52, CAH is classified as Medium risk. The stock tends to be more stable than the market average.
What is the analyst price target for CAH?
The average analyst price target for Cardinal Health (CAH) is $270.94 based on 16 analyst estimates, about 20.2% above the current price of $225.38. The published range runs from $235.00 to $292.00.
How much revenue does CAH generate?
Cardinal Health reported $254.25B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 5.8% year over year. Net margin sits at 0.7%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.