# Cardinal Health Inc. (CAH) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NYSE, United States. Sector: Healthcare / Health Care Providers & Services. Price $247.18, market value $57.5 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 34.2×** (5-yr avg 39.4×, 3-yr avg 28.7×). Cardinal Health Inc. trades at 34.2× trailing earnings, close to its own five-year average of 39.4×. The Healthcare median in the September 2026 study was 28.5×. Forward P/E is 17.6×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 1.45**. A PEG of 1.45 is in the range usually read as fairly priced for its growth.
- **Price / sales: 0.2×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.2×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **EV / EBITDA: 17.8×**. Enterprise value is 17.8× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 7.9%** (5-yr avg 11.4%). Free cash flow equals 7.9% of the market value, below its five-year average of 11.4%, so the shares are pricier on cash than usual. Above 5% is generally attractive.
- **Earnings yield: 2.9%**. The inverse of the P/E: 2.9% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 3.8%**. Cardinal Health Inc. keeps 3.8% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, a thin margin typical of retail, distribution and commodity businesses.
- **Operating margin: 1.2%**. 1.2% of revenue is left after running the business, which leaves little cushion in a downturn.
- **Net margin: 0.7%**. 0.7% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: -59.5%**. Return on equity is negative because earnings are negative.
- **Return on invested capital: 208.8%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 208.8%: comfortably above what that capital costs.
- **Return on assets: 3.0%**. Each dollar of assets produces 3.0% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 14.2%** (3-yr 7.4%/yr, 5-yr 9.4%/yr). Revenue grew 14.2% over the last year, against 9.4% a year compounded over five years: growth is accelerating.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 12.1%** (3-yr 79.0%/yr, 5-yr 28.3%/yr). Earnings per share rose 12.1%, roughly in step with revenue.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 24.2%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 24.2% a year over three years, lagging earnings: check whether profits are turning into cash.

## Financial health
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 1.2×**. It would take 1.2 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Current ratio: 0.88** (quick 0.88). Current liabilities exceed current assets, so the company depends on ongoing cash generation or refinancing to pay the next year's bills.
- **Piotroski F-score: 7/9**. 7 of 9 fundamental checks pass: strong and improving financials.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 0.83%** ($2.05 per share, trailing). Cardinal Health Inc. yields 0.83%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 29%** (11% of free cash flow). 29% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 1**. 1 straight year of increases.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 1.0%/yr** (1-yr 34.4%). The dividend has grown 1.0% a year over five years.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: strong_buy** (16 analysts). 16 analysts cover Cardinal Health Inc.; the consensus is strong_buy, with an average price target of $270.94 (+10% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 67.2%** (YTD 21.1%, 3-mo 20.4%). The shares are up 67.2% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -4.3%** (69.5% above the low). Trading within 5% of its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 65**. An RSI of 65 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): -0.10** (volatility 30%). Beta of -0.10 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=CAH · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/cah

Not investment advice.