Key facts, as of
As of October 9, 2026, Cardinal Health (CAH) trades at $238.96, up 51.5% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $151.87 to $258.30; the price is 7.5% below that high. It is 7.5% below its all-time high of $258.30, reached in August 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +276.1%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It sits 9.2% above its 200-day average of $218.73, the usual sign of a long-term uptrend. Its 30-day volatility is 22.6% annualized, which we rate medium risk. It has a trailing P/E of 33.1 and a dividend yield of 0.89%.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Cardinal Health (CAH) stock analysis", 2026-10-09. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/cah
Where it trades today
trading 82% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
How far it is from its record
Cardinal Health (CAH) is 7.5% below its all-time high of $258.30, reached in August 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +276.1%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
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 33.1x earnings, well above the healthcare average of 22.0x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- CAH carries a beta of 0.50, 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: Oct 9, 2026, 2:30 AM.
- 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 buy consensus from 15 analysts, with an average price target of $270.33 versus $238.96 today (+13.1%). 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.
Which ETFs hold it
CAH is in 8 of the 30 ETFs we track. It weighs most in XLV: 0.84% of the fund, holding #26 of 62.
Famous investors who hold it
CAH is in the latest 13F of 2 of the 15 famous investors we follow. Renaissance Technologies (Founded by Jim Simons) holds the most of it: 0.18% of the portfolio, position #113 of 2,931, as of Q2 2026.
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
In an uptrend, 7.5% under its 1-year high with no resistance above.
uptrend- Price is 2.5% above its 50-day average and 9.2% above its 200-day.
- RSI at 62 is neither stretched nor washed out.
- Nothing above has stopped it this year; the nearest floor is $229.24 (-4.1%).
A description of the chart, not advice. Indicators describe what the price has done; none of them knows what it does next.
Questions people ask about it
Is CAH a good investment in 2026?
Cardinal Health trades at a P/E ratio of 33.1, with medium volatility (22.6% annualized). The stock is in a consolidation phase.
What is the risk level of CAH?
Based on 30-day volatility of 22.6%, CAH has MEDIUM risk. Beta of 0.50 indicates lower sensitivity to market movements than average.
Does CAH pay dividends?
Yes, Cardinal Health has a dividend yield of 0.89%.
How far is CAH from its all-time high?
Cardinal Health is 7.5% below its all-time high of $258.30, reached in August 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +276.1%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
Which ETFs hold CAH?
8 of the 30 popular ETFs we track hold Cardinal Health. The largest weights: XLV (0.84%), VIG (0.23%), VYM (0.22%), VTV (0.20%) and VOO (0.08%). Measured on each issuer's full holdings file, dated August 31 to September 24, 2026.
How much of VOO is CAH?
0.08%, as of August 31, 2026: CAH is holding #209 of 505 in Vanguard's file for VOO. $1,000 in VOO puts about $0.83 in Cardinal Health.
Which famous investors own CAH?
Renaissance Technologies (0.18% of Founded by Jim Simons's 13F) and Ray Dalio (0.13% of Bridgewater Associates's 13F), according to their latest Form 13F filings with the SEC (Q2 2026). A 13F lists US long positions 45 days after the quarter ends, so it can be out of date.
What is the analyst price target for CAH?
The average analyst price target for Cardinal Health (CAH) is $270.33 based on 15 analyst estimates, about 13.1% above the current price of $238.96. 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.
Compare CAH with anything
Five years side by side: what $10,000 became, how far each fell, whether they move together.