# Cardinal Health share price today (Cardinal Health, Inc., CAH) > Cardinal Health, Inc.'s balance sheet is under water: its net worth is negative, so it owes more than it owns. This is a high-risk situation: shareholders can be wiped out by new shares or a restructuring before the business recovers. CAH · Healthcare · Medical Distribution · data as of 3 November 2026. Page: https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/cah Sector Alpha also publishes a daily newsletter that explains one Indian stock at a time: https://newsletter.sectoralpha.in/?utm_source=sectoralpha&utm_medium=ai_text&utm_campaign=llms ## Key numbers - Business trend: Mixed, from fewer quarters than usual - Price: $252.94 (+32.6% in a year) - P/E: 35.0× (higher than 63% of the last 3.6 years) - Revenue (Jun 2026): $63.7 B (+5.8% on a year ago) - Profit (Jun 2026): $398 M (+66.5% on a year ago) - Operating margin: 1.3% (+0.2 points on a year ago) - ROE: −63%, FY26 - ROIC: 18.4%, against a 6.4% cost of capital: +12.0 points Biggest thing to watch: margins are the best this company has ever reported. Every ratio looks better at a record, so the story depends on margins staying high. ## What is the Cardinal Health share price today? Cardinal Health, Inc.'s share price was $252.94 at the close on 3 November 2026. It has been rising for 26 weeks. That is 13.7% above its average price over the last 200 trading days. In the last 52 weeks it traded between $184 and $254, and at that close it sat 98% of the way up from that low. Over the past 13 weeks it has done better than the S&P 500, and it has stayed ahead for 4 weeks in a row. Over the last 10 years the share price moved +215% while the S&P 500 moved +255%, so it is behind the index over that whole period. The chart above shows the 13-week comparison for every week. This page treats a rise as over when the price closes below its 200-day average on two Fridays in a row. ## What dividend does Cardinal Health pay? Cardinal Health, Inc. paid $2.05 per share over the last four reported quarters. The most recent declaration was $0.52 for Jun 2026. At today's price of $252.94 that is a yield of 0.81%, based on dividends already paid, not a forecast. ## Which stock lists is Cardinal Health on? Cardinal Health is on one of our US lists: S&P 500 companies. [S&P 500 companies](https://www.sectoralpha.in/sp-500-stocks) ## Is Cardinal Health profitable? Cardinal Health, Inc. earned $398 M of net profit in the Jun 2026 quarter, +66.5% on the same quarter a year earlier. Full-year FY26 profit was $1.7 B. Over 5 years profit has grown 22.9% a year on average. That is 0.6% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned $239 M. 1 of the last 12 reported quarters were loss-making. For the full year, FY26 profit was $1.7 B (+9.8% on the year before). Why profit moved: revenue changed +5.8% on a year earlier and the margin moved +0.2 percentage points. Sales did the work, and the margin was about flat. On average over the last four quarters, profit changed +17.6% and revenue +14.5%. Profit is growing faster than sales: fixed costs are spread over more sales, so each extra dollar of revenue adds more to profit. ## How much revenue does Cardinal Health make, and is it growing? Cardinal Health, Inc. reported $63.7 B of revenue in the Jun 2026 quarter, +5.8% on the same quarter a year earlier. That is the 5th quarter in a row with growth on the year before. Over 5 years it has grown 9.4% a year on average. The last full year, FY26, came in at $254 B. The last four reported quarters add to $254 B. FY26 revenue was $254 B, +14.2% on the year before. Recent pace: the last four quarters grew +14.5% on average, against 9.4% a year over the longer run, so this year is growing faster than its own long-run rate. Is growth speeding up? Revenue over the last 12 months grew +14.2%, against +5.9% a year over the last 8 quarters (accelerating); profit over the last 12 months grew +9.8%, against +41.8% a year (rolling over). ## How much of every $100 of sales does Cardinal Health keep? Cardinal Health, Inc.'s operating margin was 1.3% in the Jun 2026 quarter, 0.2 percentage points higher than the same quarter a year ago. Its latest full-year margin is the highest it has ever reported. Across 6 years it has been between 0.3% and 1.3%. The latest quarter is within that range. Why the margin moved: operating margin changed +0.2 percentage points on the year while gross margin changed +0.3 points. So the gain came mostly from the gross margin, which means input costs and prices charged. When margins are at a record, every ratio built on profit looks better than usual, so watch whether they hold. ## Is Cardinal Health's profit turning into cash? Over the last 3 years, 275% of Cardinal Health, Inc.'s reported profit came in as cash from its operations, so the profit is backed by cash. In FY26 it brought in $5.2 B of operating cash against $1.7 B of profit. After $649 M of spending on assets, $4.5 B was left over as free cash. Cash-flow figures here are yearly, because quarterly cash statements are not published, so this section changes once a year. Why: the cash figure is clear, but the day counts behind it are not in our data, so we show it without guessing the reason. What to look at next: the main use of cash is spending on assets. The next section checks what that spending is building. ## Where does Cardinal Health's cash go? Cardinal Health, Inc. does not report the customer, stock and supplier day counts a cash cycle needs, so this section looks at its spending on assets instead. It spent $1.7 B on assets over the last 3 years. Averaged over those years that is 0.2% of FY26 revenue a year. Nothing is estimated in place of the missing day counts, so no cash-cycle chart is drawn. Spending on assets: $1.7 B over the last 3 years. In short: the cash is going into new capacity, not getting stuck in the daily cycle. The question is whether the new capacity earns. ## What is Cardinal Health's P/E ratio, and how does it compare with its own history? Cardinal Health, Inc.'s P/E is 35.0×, in the middle of its own history: higher than 63% of past readings. Its usual P/E (the middle reading) is 31.8×, over 3.6 years of weekly prices. This compares the share price with the company’s own past. It does not say what the business is worth. Why the multiple is where it is: over the past year earnings per share moved +12.1% while the price moved +32.6%. The price did better than earnings, which pushed the multiple up within its own range. Where the price move came from: over 3 years the price moved +36.2% a year; about +107.4% a year came from earnings growth and about −71.2 percentage points from the multiple (the market paying less). The split is approximate (price return minus earnings growth). It shows how much of the move came from the market paying a different multiple. In short: the multiple is about average against its own past, so the earnings trend underneath matters more than the multiple. ## Is the Cardinal Health business getting better or worse? Cardinal Health, Inc.'s business is giving mixed signals. Growth is slowing from a very fast pace: profit growth has eased from +158.2% at its peak to +9.8%, but the business is still expanding. This is based on 12 quarters of 3 measures, with some gaps. Why it matters: when the lines disagree, each line above matters more than any single label. The return-on-capital line is not shown: net worth is negative, so a return on capital means nothing. The balance sheet is in distress, and this reading uses the growth lines alone. This reading has some gaps: at least one line is short, or the return line is not the quarterly series, so treat it with a little more caution. ## How much does Cardinal Health earn on its capital? Cardinal Health, Inc. earned a ROE of −63% in FY26. Its return on capital used (ROIC) is 12.0 percentage points above its cost of capital, so growth here adds value, not just size. It comes from a 0.7% net margin and 4.44× asset turnover (sales divided by assets). Why the return is what it is (FY26): a 0.7% net margin × 4.44× asset turnover × −21.03× leverage (assets divided by equity) ≈ −65.4% on equity. The margin does its share; borrowing plays a small part, so this return is earned, not borrowed. The key test, return on capital used minus the cost of capital: 18.4% − 6.4% = +12.0 percentage points. The 6.4% is an estimate of this company's own cost of capital. Read the sign and size of the gap, not the decimals. A gap this wide means each dollar put back into the business creates more than a dollar of value. ## Does Cardinal Health have too much debt? Cardinal Health, Inc.'s net worth is negative: it owes more than it owns, so a debt-to-equity ratio means nothing here. Year by year, that ratio went from 3.48 in FY21 to −3.67 in FY26. So the returns on this page come from the business, not from borrowed money. ## What is the Cardinal Health shareholding pattern? 3.3% of Cardinal Health, Inc.'s tradable shares are in short positions, which are bets that the price will fall, so some traders are betting against it. At normal trading volumes, closing those positions would take about 4.2 days. US companies do not publish a quarter-by-quarter list of owners, so this page uses short interest instead. It is a single reading at one point in time; we do not have its history. Why it is at this level: the figure does not say who holds the short positions or why, so we show the level without guessing the story. ## How far is Cardinal Health from balance-sheet trouble? For Cardinal Health, Inc., the Z-score is 5.02. A Z-score above about 3 is safe and below about 1.8 signals danger, so this is well clear of danger. It estimates how far the balance sheet is from trouble; it is not a forecast of failure. Why it matters: a Z-score of 5.02 is well clear of the danger zone, so the balance sheet is not the risk here. ## How does Cardinal Health rank in its industry? 58.4 out of 100, rank 3 of 8 in Medical Distribution, with 85% of the evidence available. Cardinal Health, Inc. scores 58.4 out of 100 against the 8 companies it is compared with in Medical Distribution, ranking 3. The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. The four parts add up to the total exactly: 20.9 + 15.9 + 5 + 16.6 = 58.4. This is the same number shown on the industry page; it is worked out once for the whole group and read here. What would change it: The score would fall if profit growth turns negative or margins stop improving while the share price lags its sector. ## Which companies is Cardinal Health compared with? Cardinal Health ranks 3 of 8 Medical Distribution companies on the 4-Factor Sector Score, with 58.4 out of 100. 1. [McKesson Corporation](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/mck) MCK · leader · Most evidence points up · 85% evidence 79.9 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 25.7/35 · Revenue 8.8% · Profit 58.1% · Operating margin change 0 points · 95% evidence Capital efficiency 18.2/25 · ROCE 36.7% · Operating margin 1.3% · 76% evidence Valuation 16.0/20 · P/E 19.3× · PEG 0.39 · 65% evidence Relative strength 20.0/20 · Lead over its industry 12% · Lead over S&P 500 10.5% · 1 year 17.3% · 100% evidence · 12 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 25.7 + 18.2 + 16 + 20 = 79.9 · What this means: Earnings, capital efficiency and relative strength all agree. The open questions are about management, upcoming events and risks. 2. [Cencora, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/cor) COR · breaking out · Evidence leans up · 85% evidence 63.6 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 19.7/35 · Revenue 5.1% · Profit 38.4% · Operating margin change 0.2 points · 95% evidence Capital efficiency 14.9/25 · ROCE 18.3% · Operating margin 1.4% · 76% evidence Valuation 15.5/20 · P/E 21× · PEG 0.54 · 65% evidence Relative strength 13.5/20 · Lead over its industry 1.3% · Lead over S&P 500 -0.1% · 1 year -5.6% · 100% evidence · 8 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 19.7 + 14.9 + 15.5 + 13.5 = 63.6 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 3. Cardinal Health, Inc. this page CAH · turning · Evidence leans up · 85% evidence 58.4 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 20.9/35 · Revenue 14.2% · Profit 9.8% · Operating margin change 0.2 points · 95% evidence Capital efficiency 15.9/25 · ROCE 24.5% · Operating margin 1.3% · 76% evidence Valuation 5.0/20 · P/E 32.5× · PEG 2.72 · 65% evidence Relative strength 16.6/20 · Lead over its industry 11.2% · Lead over S&P 500 9.8% · 1 year 24.2% · 100% evidence · 7 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 20.9 + 15.9 + 5 + 16.6 = 58.4 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 4. [Henry Schein, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/hsic) HSIC · quiet · Evidence leans down · 85% evidence 41.9 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 14.6/35 · Revenue 6.5% · Profit 6% · Operating margin change 0.4 points · 95% evidence Capital efficiency 12.6/25 · ROCE 9.9% · Operating margin 5.8% · 76% evidence Valuation 7.3/20 · P/E 24× · PEG 2.33 · 65% evidence Relative strength 7.4/20 · Lead over its industry -0.6% · Lead over S&P 500 -1.8% · 1 year 14.7% · 100% evidence · 4 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 14.6 + 12.6 + 7.3 + 7.4 = 41.9 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 5. [Akso Health Group](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/ahg) AHG · basing · Too little evidence to rank firmly · 51% evidence 35.2 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 17.2/35 · Revenue n/a · Profit n/a · Operating margin change 5.6 points · 26% evidence Capital efficiency 4.8/25 · ROCE -2.2% · Operating margin -37.5% · 76% evidence Valuation 9.5/20 · P/E 25.6× · PEG n/a · 15% evidence Relative strength 3.7/20 · Lead over its industry -20.9% · Lead over S&P 500 -23.3% · 1 year -22.9% · 100% evidence · 0 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 17.2 + 4.8 + 9.5 + 3.7 = 35.2 · What this means: Some evidence is missing, so the score is pulled toward the middle on purpose. 6. EDAP TMS S.A. FOCL · quiet · Most evidence points down · 67% evidence 28.4 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 14.2/35 · Revenue 7.1% · Profit n/a · Operating margin change 8.8 points · 71% evidence Capital efficiency 3.0/25 · ROCE -71.4% · Operating margin -60.8% · 76% evidence Valuation 8.5/20 · P/E 71.3× · PEG n/a · 15% evidence Relative strength 2.7/20 · Lead over its industry -2.6% · Lead over S&P 500 -4.3% · 1 year 103.5% · 100% evidence · 0 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 14.2 + 3 + 8.5 + 2.7 = 28.4 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 7. Empro Group Inc. EMPG · Too little evidence to rank firmly · 16% evidence 56.8 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 22.7/43.75 · Revenue n/a · Profit n/a · Operating margin change 65.6 points · 5% evidence Capital efficiency 21.6/31.25 · ROCE 39.6% · Operating margin 36.1% · 57% evidence Valuation 12.5/25 · P/E n/a · PEG n/a · 0% evidence Relative strength: no reading this week · its 20 points are shared across the other three Exact sum: 22.7 + 21.6 + 12.5 = 56.8 (no relative-strength reading this week; its 20 points are shared across the other three) · What this means: Some evidence is missing, so the score is pulled toward the middle on purpose. 8. Accendra Health, Inc. ACH · Too little evidence to rank firmly · 38% evidence 36.7 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 13.7/43.75 · Revenue n/a · Profit n/a · Operating margin change -8.7 points · 45% evidence Capital efficiency 8.6/31.25 · ROCE 4.3% · Operating margin -1.5% · 76% evidence Valuation 14.4/25 · P/E -35.7× · PEG n/a · 15% evidence Relative strength: no reading this week · its 20 points are shared across the other three Exact sum: 13.7 + 8.6 + 14.4 = 36.7 (no relative-strength reading this week; its 20 points are shared across the other three) · What this means: Some evidence is missing, so the score is pulled toward the middle on purpose. Missing figures are not scored as bad. They lower the confidence and pull the final score toward the middle. Relative strength counts only when the company has a reading for this week; with no reading, that factor is left out and its 20 points are shared across the other three in proportion. PEG is not shown when the ratio cannot mean anything: the company must be making a profit, its price-to-earnings must be positive, and its three-year earnings growth must fall between 5% and 60%. Dividing a price multiple by a loss, or by growth measured off a tiny base, produces a number that looks precise and tells you nothing. Under relative strength, one mark per week shows the last 12 weeks: a mark is filled where the company led S&P 500 by 5% or more over the 13 weeks ending that week, which is the same test used everywhere on this site. Price stage places the company on the same six-step path the industry is placed on (basing, turning, breaking out, leader, fading, asleep), read from how many weeks running it has led S&P 500 and whether that lead is growing or shrinking. It describes where the share price stands, not the direction of earnings, and it is not a recommendation; it is left blank for a company whose weekly history is too short or too stale to read. The figures in this ranking come from the industry comparison: results through the Jun 2026 quarter, and the P/E at that quarter's end. The sections above use the latest weekly price, so a P/E or return there can differ a little from the one here. The stage words in this ranking (such as losing its lead or breaking out) describe the lead over the index, not the price phase in the price section. Related companies: [Medical Distribution](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/sectors/medical-distribution), all 8 compared on one page. ## Which companies are close to Cardinal Health in size? Cardinal Health is the 3rd largest of 6 Medical Distribution companies on Sector Alpha by market value (scores of 3 November 2026). Just above it: McKesson Corporation and Cencora, Inc. Just below it: Henry Schein, Inc., Akso Health Group and EDAP TMS S.A. ### Medical Distribution companies close in size 1. [McKesson Corporation](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/mck) $116.5 billion 2. [Cencora, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/cor) $65 billion 3. Cardinal Health, Inc. $58.6 billion 4. [Henry Schein, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/hsic) $9.2 billion 5. [Akso Health Group](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/ahg) $1 billion 6. [EDAP TMS S.A.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/focl) $189 million [All 6 Medical Distribution companies, largest first](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/sectors/medical-distribution#all-companies) ### Companies close in size in other industries 1. [MPLX LP](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/mplx) $59.8 billion · Oil & Gas Midstream 2. [Dominion Energy, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/d) $59.6 billion · Utilities - Regulated Electric 3. Cardinal Health, Inc. $58.9 billion 4. [ONEOK, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/oke) $58.3 billion · Oil & Gas Midstream 5. [NIKE, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/nke) $58.1 billion · Footwear & Accessories ## What else do people ask about Cardinal Health? ### What were Cardinal Health's latest quarterly results? Cardinal Health, Inc. reported revenue of $63.7 B and net profit of $398 M for the Jun 2026 quarter. Revenue rose 5.8% and profit rose 66.5% compared with a year earlier. Earnings per share were $1.68. The operating margin was 1.3%, 0.2 percentage points higher than a year earlier (as of 3 November 2026). ### What is Cardinal Health's market cap? Cardinal Health, Inc.'s market capitalisation is $58.6 B at a stock price of $252.94. Market cap is the share price times the number of shares, so it changes whenever the price moves (as of 3 November 2026). ### How is Cardinal Health performing? Cardinal Health, Inc.'s share price has been rising for 26 weeks. In its latest quarter, revenue rose 5.8% and profit rose 66.5% compared with a year earlier. Over the past 13 weeks it has done better than the S&P 500, for 4 weeks running (as of 3 November 2026). ### Will Cardinal Health's stock price go up? This page does not forecast Cardinal Health, Inc.'s stock price. What it shows instead: the stock price is $252.94, and it has been rising for 26 weeks. Its P/E of 35.0× is higher than 63% of its own last 4 years (as of 3 November 2026). ### Where is Cardinal Health in its business cycle? Cardinal Health, Inc.'s FY26 operating margin was 1.3%, against a 6-year range of 0.3% to 1.3%: the top of its range, a record year. When profit is at a record, every ratio looks better than usual, and the story depends on margins staying high. The latest quarter was 1.3%. Comparing margins with a company's own long history is a good way to see where it is in its cycle (as of 3 November 2026). ### What could break the Cardinal Health story? Biggest thing to watch: margins are the best this company has ever reported. Every ratio looks better at a record, so the story depends on margins staying high. On price, this page treats a rise as over when the share price closes below its 200-day average on two Fridays in a row (as of 3 November 2026). ### Is Cardinal Health a stock worth studying right now? What the numbers show: Cardinal Health, Inc.'s balance sheet is under water: its net worth is negative, so it owes more than it owns. This is a high-risk situation: shareholders can be wiped out by new shares or a restructuring before the business recovers. The main open question: whether the business can earn its way back to positive net worth before new shares or a restructuring get there first. Every number on this page is worked out by code from the published figures, with no forecasts and no price opinions (as of 3 November 2026). ## Lists - S&P 500 companies: https://www.sectoralpha.in/sp-500-stocks This is research, not advice. We’re not SEBI-registered.