Stock Analysis
Cardinal Health, Inc.CAH
P/E 38.00×· 5Y range 11.68–173.16×· 79th percentile of history
Sector: Healthcare · Industry: Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries
AnalystsStrong Buy24 analystsP/E 38.0× sits at the 79th percentile of its 5.089664613278576-year history.
Cash covers 49% of debt · FY 2026.
PMP Verdict
Mixed fundamentals, expensive valuation
Strengths
- Quality97
- Financial Health69
Risks
- Valuation55
- Profitability36
Mixed fundamentals at a demanding price.
Bull Case
- ✓Piotroski F-Score 7/9 — high earnings quality
- ✓Altman Z 5.1 — safe-zone balance sheet
What's happening with CAH
Profile
Strong earnings quality; profitability, growth and moat lag behind.
How is each axis scored?
- Valuation55/100 · Moderate
- P/E vs own history (79th pct)5/25
- FCF yield (7.5%)20/25
- P/S (0.2x)25/25
- EV/EBIT (27.6x)5/25
- Growth37/100 · Weak
- Revenue CAGR (8.8%)12/25
- Net income CAGR (n/a)0/25
- EPS CAGR 5Y (n/a)0/25
- Fwd implied growth (119.2%)25/25
- Profitability36/100 · Weak
- ROIC (75.5%)25/25
- ROE (n/a)0/25
- Net margin (0.6%)6/25
- Operating margin (0.9%)5/25
- Financial Health69/100 · Moderate
- Altman Z (5.13)25/25
- Current ratio (0.88)6/25
- Interest coverage (7.5x)18/25
- Net cash / debt (D/A 9%)20/25
- Quality97/100 · Strong
- Piotroski F (7/9)22/25
- Beneish M (-2.77)25/25
- FCF conversion (282%)25/25
- Margin stability (σ 2.7%)25/25
- Moat43/100 · Weak
- ROIC >12% years (4/7 yrs)13/25
- Median gross margin (4.0%)0/25
- FCF-positive years (10/10 yrs)25/25
- Worst-year net margin (worst -2.4%)5/25
Risk Flags
- ⚠2 loss-making years in recent history
About Cardinal Health, Inc.
Cardinal Health is one of three leading pharmaceutical wholesalers in the US, engaged in sourcing and distributing of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospital networks, and healthcare providers. Show more
Cardinal, Cencora, and McKesson hold well over 90% of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cardinal Health also supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Headquarters: DUBLIN, OH · Employees: 63,900 · Website ↗
Price History
Weekly Candlestick Chart — up to 5Y
Key Metrics
Financial snapshot · Tap any metric for its definition and grade
TTM Snapshot
trailing twelve months · YoYValuation
55CP/E (TTM)37.9xD
Grade D: ExpensivePrice / TTM EPS (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 11.7x–173.2x · 79th pct
P/FCF12.9xA
Grade A: CheapPrice / Free Cash Flow per share (Finnhub). Inverse of FCF yield — negative when FCF is negative
FCF Yield7.5%A
Grade A: ValueTTM (OCF − CapEx) / Market Cap — vs own 5Y history: -1.8%–18.7% · 31st pct
P/S (TTM)0.23xA
Grade A: CheapPrice / TTM Revenue (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 0.1x–0.2x · highest in history
EV/EBIT27.6xD
Grade D: ExpensiveEnterprise value / TTM EBIT (D&A not in our data) — capital-structure neutral — vs own 5Y history: 10.9x–190.0x · 78th pct
EV/Sales0.2xA
Grade A: CheapEnterprise Value / TTM Revenue (Finnhub) — capital-structure neutral sales multiple
Forward P/E17.3xB
Grade B: FairPrice / next-year EPS estimate — shows whether the TTM multiple is rich or just front-loading growth
P/B RatioNeg. EquityC
Grade C: BuybacksPrice to Book Value. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
PEG Ratio2.74C
Grade C: ExpensiveFinnhub PEG — their P/E basis ÷ expected EPS growth. Suppressed when their P/E diverges >2× from our TTM P/E (different basis)
Dividend Yield0.84%A
Grade A: PaysTTM dividend yield (Finnhub) — annual dividends / price. None = no dividend; very high yield can signal distress
Payout Ratio28.6%A
Grade A: SafeDividends / Net Income (Finnhub) — share of earnings paid out; >90% or negative = unsustainable
Profitability
36DROIC75.5%A
Grade A: MoatNOPAT (EBIT less ~21% tax) / invested capital (equity + debt − cash). Flagship quality metric — durable >15% signals a moat
ROENeg. EquityC
Grade C: BuybacksReturn on Equity. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
ROA3.0%D
Grade D: WeakReturn on Assets (Finnhub) — Net Income / Total Assets; how efficiently assets produce profit
Net Margin0.6%D
Grade D: LowNet Income / Revenue
Operating Margin0.9%D
Grade D: LowTTM EBIT / TTM Revenue
Gross Margin3.8%D
Grade D: LowGross Profit / Revenue
FCF Margin1.8%D
Grade D: LowFCF / Revenue
True FCF Margin1.6%D
Grade D: LowTTM (OCF − CapEx − SBC) / TTM Revenue — SBC treated as a real cost
Growth
37DRevenue CAGR8.8%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual revenue growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
Net Income CAGR—
Compound annual net income growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
EPS CAGR (5Y)—
Compound annual EPS growth over up to 5Y of per-share earnings (own statements). Null when either endpoint EPS ≤ 0
Implied EPS Growth119.2%A
Grade A: HighAnalyst forward EPS (normalized basis) vs our GAAP TTM EPS — different bases, so extreme values usually mark cyclically depressed TTM earnings, not real growth
Dilution (5Y)-20.9%A
Grade A: BuybacksShare count change over 5Y
SBC / Net Income29.7%D
Grade D: HighStock-based comp/Net income. >30% = dilution risk
SBC / Revenue0.2%A
Grade A: LowTTM stock-based comp / TTM Revenue
Financial Health
69BAltman Z-Score5.13A
Grade A: SafeBankruptcy risk. >3 Safe, <1.8 Distress
Current Ratio0.88xD
Grade D: LowCurrent Assets/Liabilities
Quick Ratio0.43xD
Grade D: Low(Current Assets − Inventory) / Current Liabilities (Finnhub) — stricter liquidity test, excludes inventory
Interest Coverage7.5xC
Grade C: OkEBIT/Interest. >10 Strong
Debt Repayment1.2yA
Grade A: FastYears to repay net debt via FCF
Net Debt/EBIT2.2xC
Grade C: MedLeverage. <2x Low, >4x High
Debt/Equity—
Debt / Equity: <1 Conservative, >2 Risky. Not meaningful with non-positive equity; shown as unavailable rather than low debt.
Cash / Debt0.49xC
Grade C: PartialCash covers how much of total debt. >1 = could repay all debt from cash
Quality
97A+Piotroski F-Score7/9A
Grade A: StrongFinancial strength 0–9. >7 Strong
Beneish M-Score-2.77A
Grade A: SafeEarnings manipulation risk. < -2.22 Safe
FCF Conversion282.4%A
Grade A: StrongFCF / Net Income
Margin Stability2.7%A
Grade A: StableEBIT margin std deviation. Lower = stable
Capex / Revenue0.2%A
Grade A: Asset-lightTTM CapEx / TTM Revenue — high % = capital-hungry business
Asset Turnover4.47xA
Grade A: HighRevenue / Total Assets (Finnhub) — how efficiently the asset base generates sales
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · 8 recordsP/S codes are the directional signal; grants, option exercises and tax withholding carry none. Form 4 doesn't flag 10b5-1 plans — scheduled sales may appear within open-market sells.
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scherer Mary C. Filed | Scherer Mary C. | SellOpen market sale | -2202 | |
Scherer Mary C. Filed | Scherer Mary C. | SellOpen market sale | -100 | |
Hollar Jason M. Filed | Hollar Jason M. | SellOpen market sale | -6244 | |
Hollar Jason M. Filed | Hollar Jason M. | SellOpen market sale | -16187 | |
Hollar Jason M. Filed | Hollar Jason M. | SellOpen market sale | -6731 |
Show 3 more filingsShow fewer filings
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hollar Jason M. Filed | Hollar Jason M. | SellOpen market sale | -5704 | |
Hollar Jason M. Filed | Hollar Jason M. | SellOpen market sale | -3457 | |
Hollar Jason M. Filed | Hollar Jason M. | SellOpen market sale | -6206 |
More metrics — Moat, Per Share, Balance Sheet, MarketHide additional metrics
Moat
43D+ROIC >12% Years4/7 yrsC
Grade C: ModerateShare of completed fiscal years with ROIC > 12% — measures multi-year capital-return durability
Gross Margin (Med.)4.0%D
Grade D: WeakMedian annual gross margin across available fiscal years — pricing-power durability
FCF-Positive Years10/10 yrsA
Grade A: DurableShare of completed fiscal years with positive free cash flow
Net Margin Floor-2.4%D
Grade D: WeakWeakest annual net margin across completed fiscal years — recession/downcycle resilience
Per Share
EPS (TTM)$6.69
Own TTM net income / shares — same earnings basis as P/E
Cash / Share$20.84
Cash & short-term investments per share (Finnhub)
Book Value / Share$3.60
Shareholders' equity per share (Finnhub). Negative = accumulated losses / heavy buybacks
Balance Sheet
Total Debt$10.00B
Total debt obligations (short + long term)
Cash & Equiv.$4.86B
Cash and short-term investments
Net Debt$5.14B
Total Debt minus Cash. Negative = Net Cash position
Total Equity$-2.72B
Shareholders' equity (book value)
Asset / Liability0.95xD
Grade D: RiskyTotal Assets / Total Liabilities
Market
Market Cap$58.61B
Current Market Capitalization
Beta0.55B
Grade B: DefensivePrice sensitivity vs the market (Finnhub) — 1.0 moves with market, >1.2 amplifies swings
How grades work: each metric is graded A–D against fixed thresholds (tap a row for the meaning). Card grades map the pillar score to A+–E — a card grade is that pillar's own score, not an average of the rows shown.
Financials as of Jun 2026 · Ratio snapshot Oct 17, 2026
Key Insights: Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH)
Cardinal Health, Inc. meets 7 of 9 Piotroski F-Score criteria, placing its fundamental strength in the top tier of US-listed stocks. Altman Z-Score of 5.13 sits comfortably in the safe zone (≥ 2.99), indicating low bankruptcy risk. Beneish M-Score of -2.77 suggests a low likelihood of earnings manipulation.
- Takes ~1.2 years to repay net debt from free cash flow.
- Cardinal Health, Inc. posted a net loss in 2 of 10 available completed fiscal years (2017–2026).
See how CAH ranks on the Capex Tracker — top 50 capital spenders compared.
Recent Market Moves
See all CAH moves →| Date | Session | Price | Move | Z-Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8 | Regular | 239.58 | +3.19% | 2.45 |
| Oct 8 | After-hours | 238.96 | +2.93% | 2.25 |
| Oct 1 | Pre-market | 227.03 | +2.04% | 2.29 |
| Oct 1 | Regular | 230.23 | +3.47% | 3.55 |
Frequently Asked Questions about CAH
What is the current Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) stock price?
CAH is trading at $254.06 at the last market close, up 0.14% on the session. PreMarketPrice tracks CAH pre-market, intraday and after-hours prices.
Is CAH stock a buy right now?
PreMarketPrice's quantitative model rates Cardinal Health, Inc.'s financial health at 69/100. This is a data-driven snapshot of fundamentals, not investment advice.
Is CAH stock overvalued?
Cardinal Health, Inc. trades at a trailing P/E of 37.9 and our valuation score rates it 55/100 (higher = cheaper vs. its own history). See the Valuation History and Key Metrics sections for forward P/E, EV/EBITDA and PEG context.
When does Cardinal Health, Inc. report earnings?
No confirmed earnings date is currently scheduled for CAH. The Earnings section lists recent reports and updates as dates are announced.
What sector does Cardinal Health, Inc. operate in?
Cardinal Health, Inc. operates in the Healthcare sector, within the Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries industry. The Related Stocks section lists sector peers for comparison.
What does Cardinal Health, Inc. do?
Cardinal Health is one of three leading pharmaceutical wholesalers in the US, engaged in sourcing and distributing of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospital networks, and healthcare providers.
About Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) Stock
Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) is a US-listed stock operating in the Healthcare sector, specifically the Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries industry. As of the latest update, Cardinal Health, Inc. is trading at $254.06, up 0.14% on the day with a market capitalization of $58.6 billion. The financial health score for CAH is 69/100, which indicates good financial strength based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, and growth metrics. This page provides real-time pre-market pricing, earnings calendar, financial health analysis, and valuation metrics for CAH stock.
CAH Stock Analysis & Key Metrics
On PreMarketPrice, you can track Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) across multiple dimensions:
- Pre-market price & movement: Real-time CAH stock price with percentage change, updated continuously during pre-market and regular trading hours.
- Valuation & P/E history: Historical P/E, P/S, and P/B ratios for CAH with trend analysis and normalized valuation multiples.
- Financial statements: Revenue, net income, assets, liabilities, and equity for Cardinal Health, Inc. across multiple reporting periods.
- Financial health score: A composite score of 69/100 based on Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score, profitability, and leverage metrics for CAH.
- Sector peers: Compare CAH against 6 other healthcare stocks on key financial metrics.
Is CAH a Good Stock to Buy?
This page provides data-driven analysis to help you evaluate Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) as an investment. The financial health score of 69/100 suggests good financial fundamentals. Valuation metrics show whether the stock is trading above or below its historical average.However, this is not financial advice — always do your own research before investing.
Data on this page is sourced from real-time market feeds, Polygon.io, and Finnhub.Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) trades on NYSE/NASDAQ. Pre-market trading occurs 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET. Regular market hours are 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET.