For Cardinal Health, the Proof Will be in Its Performance (2024)

For Cardinal Health, the Proof Will be in Its Performance (1)

Key Points

  • Cardinal Health stock is up about 1% after a mixed earnings report.
  • The stock is trying to find support after falling nearly 7% on news that its contract for OptumRx will expire in June.
  • Analysts will be weighing if the company’s growth expectations are enough to lift a stock that’s already up about 26% in the last 12 months.
  • 5 stocks we like better than Cardinal Health

Investors are familiar with the phrase "buy the rumor, sell the news." However, Cardinal Health Inc. NYSE: CAH proved that investors can buy and sell the news. CAH stock is up slightly over 1% after posting mixed earnings on May 2, 2024. Cardinal Health missed somewhat on the top line but beat earnings estimates by 6%. Both revenue and earnings were higher on a year-over-year (YOY) basis by 8% and 19%, respectively.

Cardinal Health is one of the premium medical stocks and one of the largest distributors of healthcare products and services. The company also manufactures medical products and some pharmaceuticals. It's not uncommon for a conglomerate like Cardinal to show strength in one category and weakness in others. However, when you dig into the report's details, you can see that the company is showing growth in all its business units.

Will the earnings report be enough to put a floor on CAH stock, which is down more than 7% in the last month? Almost all of that loss has come in the last two weeks after the company announced its contract with UnitedHealth Group Inc. NYSE: UNH for OptumRx would expire in June.

The Loss of Optum May Not be Optimal

Cardinal Health Today

$98.91

-4.07(-3.95%)

(As of 05/3/2024 ET)

52-Week Range
$77.56

$116.04

Dividend Yield
2.02%

P/E Ratio
43.96

Price Target
$105.79

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Investors are concerned that OptumRx, the company's pharmacy benefits provider, accounted for approximately 16% of its 2023 revenue. The company believes it can cover that significant gap.

The company is maintaining its full-year and 2025 guidance based on expected high demand for its high-margin specialty drugs. Specifically, it expects a 4% to 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the segment. Cardinal also plans to lessen the impact of the Optum loss through new customer wins and "other actions."

For the full year, Cardinal Health forecasts earnings per share in the range of $7.30 and $7.40. That's up from prior guidance of $7.20 to $7.35. The company is forecasting 26% YOY earnings growth at the low end.

Cardinal Health is a dividend aristocrat that has increased its dividend for 27 consecutive years. The company didn't provide any dividend information. However, investors will likely receive an announcement of a dividend increase in the next week or so.

Analyst Sentiment Will Dictate the Short-Term Trend

The increase in CAH stock after the earnings report provides support at the level hit after the Optum news. Now, investors will have to see if analysts believe that Cardinal Health will deliver on its optimistic forecasts.

For Cardinal Health, the Proof Will be in Its Performance (4)

Heading into earnings, CAH stock was up about 26% in the last 12 months and was fairly priced based on the consensus price target. However, the company's forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.2x and PEG ratio of 1.2 would support the idea that Cardinal Health is undervalued compared to those growth expectations.

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Analysts were relatively quiet about the OptumRx news. The Cardinal Health analyst ratings on MarketBeat showed that reiterated its Underweight rating on CAH stock and lowered its price target to $94 from $96.

→ Never use this word on your phone (FBI could be watching) (From Paradigm Press) (Ad)For Cardinal Health, the Proof Will be in Its Performance (7)

Should you invest $1,000 in Cardinal Health right now?

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For Cardinal Health, the Proof Will be in Its Performance (8)

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For Cardinal Health, the Proof Will be in Its Performance (2024)

FAQs

For Cardinal Health, the Proof Will be in Its Performance? ›

For the full year, Cardinal Health forecasts earnings per share in the range of $7.30 and $7.40. That's up from prior guidance of $7.20 to $7.35. The company is forecasting 26% YOY earnings growth at the low end. Cardinal Health is a dividend aristocrat that has increased its dividend for 27 consecutive years.

Is Cardinal Health a good stock to buy? ›

Cardinal Health, Inc.

may be undervalued. Its Value Score of A indicates it would be a good pick for value investors. The financial health and growth prospects of CAH, demonstrate its potential to outperform the market. It currently has a Growth Score of A.

What is the slogan of Cardinal Health? ›

We are Essential to Care

What is the Cardinal Health mission statement? ›

At Cardinal Health, our mission is this: For those tasked with navigating the complexities of healthcare, Cardinal Health brings scaled solutions that help our customers thrive in a changing world. What we value: Integrity: We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards.

What is the competitive advantage of Cardinal Health? ›

The biggest competitive advantage for Cardinal Health is its distribution capability, which makes it very difficult for competitors to successfully enter the market. Cardinal Health distributes its products to roughly 90% of U.S. hospitals.

What is the outlook for Cardinal Health? ›

CAH Stock 12 Month Forecast

Based on 12 Wall Street analysts offering 12 month price targets for Cardinal Health in the last 3 months. The average price target is $114.42 with a high forecast of $128.00 and a low forecast of $94.00. The average price target represents a 15.68% change from the last price of $98.91.

How is Cardinal Health doing financially? ›

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) Third Quarter 2024 Results

Revenue: US$54.9b (up 8.8% from 3Q 2023). Net income: US$258.0m (down 25% from 3Q 2023). Profit margin: 0.5% (down from 0.7% in 3Q 2023). EPS: US$1.06 (down from US$1.35 in 3Q 2023).

Why is Cardinal Health being sued? ›

The lawsuit arose from Cardinal Health's 2015 acquisition and integration of Cordis Corporation from Johnson & Johnson. During the class period, defendants allegedly failed to disclose that Cordis faced inventory and supply chain issues that were negatively impacting Cordis's financial performance.

What rank is Cardinal Health? ›

Cardinal Health (ranked 14th): $181.36 billion, change of 11.6%.

How much does CEO of Cardinal Health make? ›

Cardinal Health's CEO is Jason Hollar, appointed in Sep 2022, has a tenure of 1.67 years. total yearly compensation is $18.78M, comprised of 6.6% salary and 93.4% bonuses, including company stock and options. directly owns 0.018% of the company's shares, worth $4.48M.

What is the new name for Cardinal Health? ›

The new company will be named CareFusion®, reflecting a diverse blend of medical technologies the company will offer to improve the safety and quality of care.

What is Cardinal Health known for? ›

Cardinal Health is a global healthcare services and products company providing customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices and patients in the home.

Who are Cardinal Health's biggest competitors? ›

The main competitors of Cardinal Health include Cencora (COR), McKesson (MCK), ICON Public (ICLR), Zimmer Biomet (ZBH), Align Technology (ALGN), ResMed (RMD), argenx (ARGX), Biogen (BIIB), West Pharmaceutical Services (WST), and Molina Healthcare (MOH). These companies are all part of the "medical" sector.

Is Cardinal Health a fortune company? ›

This recognition by Fortune is a direct result of the mission-driven, innovative spirit of our employees,” said Jason Hollar, Cardinal Health's CEO.

What is outcomes Cardinal Health? ›

Outcomes unified ecosystem manages everything from dispensing to medication therapy management to patient engagement. Our solutions connect payer and pharma programs through the pharmacy to optimize efficiency and drive better patient outcomes.

How big of a company is Cardinal Health? ›

We serve nearly 90% of U.S. hospitals, more than 60,000 U.S. pharmacies, and more than 10,000 specialty physician offices and clinics. We provide more than 3.4 million patients with more than 46,000 home healthcare products.

Why should I invest in Cardinal Health? ›

A company's earnings performance is important for value investors as well. For fiscal 2024, seven analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for CAH, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.39 to $7.29 per share. CAH also holds an average earnings surprise of 15.6%.

What is the best health stock to buy right now? ›

Comparison Results
NamePriceAnalyst Price Target
JNJ Johnson & Johnson$149.27$174.62 (16.98% Upside)
ABT Abbott Laboratories$105.90$128.83 (21.65% Upside)
LLY Eli Lilly & Co$734.97$882.06 (20.01% Upside)
CVS CVS Health$55.90$75.37 (34.83% Upside)
5 more rows

Why did Cardinal Health stock drop? ›

The stock slid late last month after the company said its drug distribution contracts with UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s (UNH) OptumRx, a major pharmacy-benefit manager, would not be renewed.

Is Cardinal Energy a good investment? ›

Cardinal Energy J's analyst rating consensus is a Moderate Buy. This is based on the ratings of 3 Wall Streets Analysts.

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