Cardinal Health Inc (CAH) Fair Value & Analysis

Healthcare · US · Market cap $53.9B · ISIN US14149Y1082

What is Cardinal Health Inc really worth?

What runs behind every stock

26 valuation models 8 families, DCF to NCAV 37 quality factors margins, balance sheet, cashflow, debt 6 AI factors moat, what no ratio measures 2,000+ data points verified, per stock, median

69 individual criteria per stock, every one traceable See the method →

What matters now

• The price sits above even our optimistic bull case ($183.06). The favourable scenario is already priced in.
• Solid but not exceptional quality (61/100) and above fair value, neither a clear bargain nor a standout compounder.
• A fairly wide model range ($87.93 to $183.06) leaves room in how you read the outcome.

Price vs Fair Value (5 years)

White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year, dashed = 300-day average. As of Aug 30, 2026.

How to read this chart

60‑month range $41.53 – $248.61 · fair‑value band $87.93 – $183.06 · the $248.61 price screens above the $141.77 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). 1 fiscal year is left out: there the valuation rested on only a fraction of the usual models. Dashed = 300-day average. As of Aug 30, 2026.

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Analysis

Cardinal Health Inc (CAH) currently trades at $248.61, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is $141.77, implying the stock looks roughly 75.3% overvalued today. The Quality Score stands at 61/100 (solid quality), in the Healthcare sector. Bull case: the DCF Models group reads highest at a median of $153.55 per share, and 0 of the 22 models we run sit above the $248.61 price. Bear case: the Dividend Discount group reads lowest at $33.95, and 22 of the 22 models stay below the price. Evidence for this calculation is medium.

Over the trailing twelve months, Cardinal Health Inc generated revenue of $251B at a net margin of 0.6%. Revenue grew 11.0% year over year. Net debt stands at $5.5B. The stock trades on a trailing P/E of 38.0. Fundamentals as of Aug 30, 2026

Our scenario range runs from $87.93 (bear case) to $183.06 (bull case); at $248.61, the current price sits above that range. Bear and bull are the same models run on conservative and optimistic assumptions (margins, growth, valuation multiples), so a plausible valuation range, not a price target. The last reported earnings sit well below what analysts expect (earnings in transition, for example after write-downs or an earnings dip); whether the stock is cheap or expensive hinges on the expected recovery actually arriving. Read the fair value with that caveat. The share trades near its 52-week high and 82% above its 52-week low, currently above its 200-day average. For context, the median of 10 Healthcare peers we cover trades at 36% fair-value upside, at −43%, CAH screens richer than that median.

Fair Value models

This estimate rests on fiscal year 2025 figures, and about 12 months have passed since. In that time the company retained roughly $4.50 per share, which is 3.2 % of the fair value. The fair value deliberately does not add this in: the models value reported figures, not a projection.

Each model estimates fair value its own way; the Fair Value above is the evidence-weighted, family-balanced blend. Evidence (0–100) measures how completely this model’s inputs are available: well-fed models carry more weight in the blend. The spread across models is intentional, each one stresses a different value driver; dividend models, for instance, come out structurally low when payout is small. Every input is real reported data, nothing guessed.

Widest divergence: DCF Models ($153.55) versus Dividend Discount ($33.95). Highest evidence: FCF DCF (77).

Key figures & financial health

Quality Score breakdown

About the company

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.

Full company description

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 provides 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 services to hospitals; operates pharmacies, including pharmacies in community health centers; and repackages generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter healthcare products. In addition, it manufactures, sources, and distributes Cardinal Health branded medical, surgical, and laboratory products and devices that include exam and surgical gloves; needles, syringe, and sharps disposals; compression, incontinence, nutritional delivery, and wound care products; single-use surgical drapes, gowns, and apparel products; fluid suction and collection systems; urology products; operating room supply products; and electrode product lines. Further, the company distributes a range of national brand products, including medical, surgical, and laboratory products; provides supply chain services and solutions to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare providers; and assembles and sells sterile and non-sterile procedure kits. Additionally, it manufactures, prepares, and delivers radiopharmaceuticals; and optimizes direct shipments through integrated technology solutions. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.

Company description, as reported by the company or data provider.

Revenue & earnings trend

FY2021 – FY2025 · reported fiscal years

Cardinal Health Inc reported revenue of $223B in FY2025 versus $162B in FY2021, a compound +8.2%/yr. Reported net income was $1.6B in FY2025, compounding +26.4%/yr from FY2021.

CAH screens 75% overvalued. Compare with McKesson Corporation →

Peer Group

Medical Distribution · 78 stocks

How this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.

Valuation Multiples vs Medical Distribution median · lower = cheaper

Strength profile in five axes (Snowflake)

Five quick dimensions, each 0 to 100: VALUE (fair-value potential), FUTURE (revenue growth), PAST (return on equity), HEALTH (low debt), DIVIDEND (yield). Green = this stock, grey = typical sector peer.

VALUE 0: the price sits above our fair-value range.

PAST 0: with negative equity (buybacks among others) return on equity is not meaningfully computable.

Values & ESG

Does this company touch areas you may want to avoid? The classification is inferred from sector and industry.

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