Cardinal Health (CAH) stock
Health Care · Health Care Distributors
Cardinal Health (CAH) is a Health Care Distributors company in the Health Care sector, headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. As of October 23, 2026, CAH closed at $249.57, a market capitalization of $57.79 billion, the 207th largest company in the S&P 500. Over the last twelve months it generated $254.25 billion in revenue (+6% year over year) and $4.53 billion in free cash flow. The stock trades at 34.5x trailing earnings and 17.8x forward earnings.
- 1-year total return: +58.3% (dividends reinvested)
- 5-year return: +41.0% a year
- 52-week range: $161.36 – $259.21
- Gross margin 3.8%, operating margin 1.3%
- Dividend yield: 0.83%, 39 straight years of increases
- FI Handbook report card: C across 9 metrics
- 26th largest of 60 Health Care stocks in the S&P 500
CAH price chart
1Y price change: +56.8% (price only; total returns below include dividends)
| Total return | 1M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | MAX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAH | +13.1% | +22.6% | +58.3% | +41.5% | +41.0% | +15.9% | +15.0% |
Dividends reinvested. 3Y and longer are annualized; MAX is annualized since 1983.
CAH key statistics
- Market cap
- $57.8B
- #207 in S&P 500
- P/E (TTM)
- 34.5x
- Forward P/E
- 17.8x
- EPS (TTM)
- $7.23
- Revenue (TTM)
- $254.2B
- +6%
- Free cash flow
- $4.5B
- Gross margin
- 3.8%
- Operating margin
- 1.3%
- Return on equity
- —
- Dividend yield
- 0.83%
- 52-week range
- $161.36 – $259.21
- Beta
- 0.50
- Price / sales
- 0.2x
- EV / EBITDA
- 14.9x
- Debt / equity
- —
- Employees
- 58,788
CAH report card
CTen fundamentals graded A to F against fixed thresholds. Not a buy or sell rating.
- Revenue growth5.8%C
- Gross margin3.8%F
- Operating margin1.3%D
- FCF margin1.8%D
- Return on equity——
- Net debt / EBITDA1.2xC
- Forward P/E17.8xB
- PEG ratio1.1xB
- Shareholder yield3.2%B
- Share count change / yr-4.2%A
Cardinal Health financials
Revenue went from $130.0B in fiscal 2017 to $254.2B in fiscal 2026, growing 7.7% a year.
| Fiscal year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $130.0B | $136.8B | $145.5B | $152.9B | $162.5B | $181.3B | $205.0B | $226.8B | $222.6B | $254.2B |
| Gross profit | $6.5B | $7.2B | $6.8B | $6.9B | $6.8B | $6.5B | $6.9B | $7.4B | $8.2B | $9.8B |
| Operating income | $2.1B | $126.0M | $2.1B | -$4.1B | $472.0M | -$607.0M | $752.0M | $1.2B | $2.3B | $2.6B |
| Net income | $1.3B | $256.0M | $1.4B | -$3.7B | $611.0M | -$938.0M | $330.0M | $852.0M | $1.6B | $1.7B |
| EPS (diluted) | $4.03 | $0.81 | $4.53 | $-12.61 | $2.08 | $-3.37 | $1.26 | $3.45 | $6.45 | $7.23 |
| Free cash flow | $797.0M | $2.4B | $2.4B | $1.6B | $2.0B | $2.8B | $2.4B | $3.3B | $1.9B | $4.5B |
| Buybacks | $600.0M | $550.0M | $600.0M | $350.0M | $200.0M | $1.0B | $2.0B | $750.0M | $765.0M | $1.4B |
| Dividends paid | $577.0M | $581.0M | $577.0M | $569.0M | $573.0M | $559.0M | $525.0M | $499.0M | $494.0M | $491.0M |
| Diluted shares | 320.0M | 315.0M | 301.0M | 293.0M | 294.0M | 279.0M | 262.0M | 247.0M | 242.0M | 237.0M |
Source: SEC filings (10-K XBRL). EPS and share counts are split-adjusted.
What's priced into CAH?
A reverse DCF asks what growth the current price requires. With an enterprise value of $62.9B and $4.5B of trailing free cash flow, Cardinal Health needs to grow free cash flow about 1.6% a year for ten years (fading to 3.0% terminal growth) to earn a 10% annual return. For context, free cash flow grew 17.4% a year over the last five years.
P/E ratio history
Current 34.5x vs. median 23.1x (10th–90th percentile 11.3x–68.9x).
A model, not a forecast or advice. Small changes in assumptions move the answer a lot.
CAH dividend
- Dividend yield
- 0.83%
- Annual dividend
- $2.06
- Years of increases
- 39
- 5-yr dividend growth
- 1.0%
- per year
- Payout ratio
- 28%
- Payments per year
- 4
Regular dividends per share by calendar year; special dividends excluded. Current year omitted until complete.
CAH earnings
Next report: November 5, 2026. Cardinal Health has beaten EPS estimates 8 quarters in a row. Last quarter's revenue was $63.7B (+6% year over year).
| Report date | EPS estimate | EPS actual | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2026 | $2.42 | $2.60 | +7.4% |
| Apr 30, 2026 | $2.79 | $3.17 | +13.7% |
| Feb 5, 2026 | $2.37 | $2.63 | +11.2% |
| Oct 30, 2025 | $2.17 | $2.55 | +17.6% |
| Aug 12, 2025 | $2.03 | $2.08 | +2.4% |
| May 1, 2025 | $2.15 | $2.35 | +9.4% |
| Jan 30, 2025 | $1.76 | $1.93 | +9.4% |
| Nov 1, 2024 | $1.62 | $1.88 | +15.9% |
Stocks like CAH
| Name | Today | 1Y | Mkt cap | P/E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 MCK McKesson | -1.14% | +27% | $116.7B | 26.8x | Compare |
 COR Cencora | -2.21% | +2% | $63.2B | 24.6x | Compare |
 HSIC Henry Schein | -1.21% | +34% | $9.5B | 24.8x | Compare |
 LLY Eli Lilly and | -2.54% | +56% | $1.1T | 42.7x | Compare |
 JNJ Johnson & Johnson | -1.42% | +40% | $635.1B | 40.0x | Compare |
 ABBV AbbVie | +0.16% | +29% | $504.8B | 80.7x | Compare |
 UNH UnitedHealth | -1.62% | +19% | $375.3B | 26.9x | Compare |
 MRK Merck & | -1.34% | +72% | $358.4B | 117.2x | Compare |
CAH news
- Should Upcoming Earnings Expectations Require Action From Cardinal Health Stock Investors? · Oct 22, 2026
- Cardinal Health (CAH) Faces An Earnings Test On A Modestly Undervalued View · Oct 22, 2026
- IBD Stock Of The Day Tests New Buy Point As Indicators Suggest More Upside · Oct 21, 2026
- Disposable Specimen Container Market Forecast Report 2026-2030 | Capitalize on Sterile Automation and $3.97B Demand with Leading Players Thermo Fisher, Cardinal Health, SARSTEDT and Greiner Bio-One · Oct 21, 2026
- Cardinal Health (CAH) Laps the Stock Market: Here's Why · Oct 20, 2026
CAH stock FAQ
What is CAH's market cap?
Cardinal Health's market capitalization is $57.79 billion as of October 23, 2026, ranking 207th in the S&P 500.
What is CAH's P/E ratio?
CAH trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 34.5x and a forward P/E of 17.8x. Its median P/E over the period we track is 23.1x.
Does CAH pay a dividend?
Yes. Cardinal Health pays $2.06 per share a year, a 0.83% yield. It has raised its dividend 39 years in a row. Dividends grew 1.0% a year over the last five years.
How much has CAH stock returned?
Including reinvested dividends, CAH returned +58.3% over one year, +41.0% a year over five years, +15.9% a year over ten years through October 23, 2026.
Is CAH stock overvalued?
At today's price, a reverse discounted cash flow model (10% discount rate, 3% terminal growth) implies Cardinal Health must grow free cash flow about 2% a year for the next decade. Its free cash flow grew 17% a year over the last five years. Whether that is achievable decides if the stock is cheap or expensive. This is a model, not advice.
When does CAH report earnings?
Cardinal Health is expected to report earnings on November 5, 2026. It has beaten EPS estimates 8 quarters in a row.
How many employees does Cardinal Health have?
Cardinal Health has about 58,788 full-time employees, or $4.3 million of revenue per employee.
Sources: SEC EDGAR filings, Yahoo Finance market data (delayed), FI Handbook calculations. Last close October 23, 2026. Methodology