CAH

Based on Cardinal Health, Inc.'s historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.

What does Cardinal Health do?

Cardinal Health distributes pharmaceutical and medical products to hospitals, pharmacies, surgery centers, and other healthcare providers. It also manufactures its own branded medical and surgical supplies and operates nuclear pharmacies. The company acts as a supply-chain intermediary between product manufacturers and the point of care.

Does CAH pay dividends?

Yes, Cardinal Health pays a regular dividend. The company has maintained a dividend program consistent with its position as a mature, cash-generative large-cap business. Investors seeking income from the healthcare sector often include CAH in their screening. For current yield and payment details, check Cardinal Health's investor relations page.

When does CAH report earnings?

Cardinal Health reports on a quarterly cadence, as is standard for US-listed large-cap companies. Specific upcoming report dates are not covered by our data source. For confirmed dates, visit the company's investor relations page or a financial calendar service.

Is CAH a good stock to buy?

UQS Score rates CAH as Below Average overall. The Growth and Valuation pillars are Good, but the Quality and Moat pillars are both Weak — a combination that warrants caution for investors prioritizing durable competitive advantages. The full pillar breakdown is available to UQS Pro members.

Is CAH overvalued?

The UQS Valuation pillar for CAH is rated Good, suggesting the stock does not appear significantly overpriced relative to its fundamentals and sector peers. That said, valuation alone does not determine investment quality — the Weak Moat and Quality scores are important context when assessing whether the price reflects the full picture.

How does CAH compare to its competitors?

Cardinal Health operates alongside Cencora and McKesson in the large pharmaceutical distribution space, and competes more broadly with Henry Schein in medical products. All three major distributors operate on thin margins, but differ in their specialty drug exposure, technology investments, and customer mix. UQS Pro members can view side-by-side pillar comparisons.

What is CAH's market cap bracket?

Cardinal Health is classified as a large-cap company, reflecting its scale as one of the major healthcare distribution networks in the United States. Large-cap status generally implies greater liquidity and institutional coverage compared to smaller peers in the sector.

Who founded Cardinal Health?

Cardinal Health was founded in 1983. Founding details and leadership history are widely available through the company's official website and public filings. The company has grown substantially through acquisitions and organic expansion since its early years as a regional drug distributor.

Is CAH a long-term quality investment?

From a long-term quality perspective, CAH's Weak scores in both Quality and Moat are meaningful flags. These pillars assess factors like return on capital and competitive durability — areas where Cardinal Health faces structural headwinds inherent to low-margin distribution. The Good Growth score offers some offset, but long-term compounding typically requires stronger moat characteristics.

What is the main competitive advantage of Cardinal Health?

Cardinal Health's primary advantage lies in its scale and logistics infrastructure — operating one of the largest pharmaceutical distribution networks in the US creates switching costs for health system customers. However, the UQS Moat pillar rates this advantage as Weak, reflecting that scale alone has not translated into strong pricing power or above-average returns on capital.

What sector does CAH belong to?

Cardinal Health belongs to the Healthcare sector, specifically within healthcare distribution and services. It serves as a critical intermediary in the US healthcare supply chain, connecting pharmaceutical manufacturers and medical product suppliers with hospitals, pharmacies, and clinical providers.

Is CAH a growth stock or value stock?

Based on UQS pillar labels, CAH shows Good Growth and Good Valuation — a profile that sits between classic growth and deep value. It is not a high-multiple growth stock, nor is it a distressed value play. Investors often categorize large healthcare distributors as steady, moderate-growth businesses rather than either extreme.

Cardinal Health, Inc. currently shows below-average quality metrics, suggesting challenges with profitability.

Cardinal Health, Inc. demonstrates healthy growth trends across revenue and earnings.

Cardinal Health, Inc. has some risk factors including moderate leverage or solvency concerns.

Cardinal Health, Inc. trades at a reasonable valuation with decent earnings yield and FCF multiples.

Cardinal Health, Inc. possesses some competitive advantages but faces meaningful competition. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for CAH.

The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for Cardinal Health, Inc. is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.

Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.

Moat (25%) assesses Cardinal Health, Inc.'s competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.

Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.

Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.

Valuation (15%) measures whether Cardinal Health, Inc. is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.

Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.