Cardinal Health Q1 EPS Forecast Boosted by Leerink Partnrs

Key Points

• Leerink Partners has raised its Q1 2026 earnings per share estimate for Cardinal Health from $2.17 to $2.20, indicating a positive outlook for the company's financial performance.
• The average rating for Cardinal Health stock is currently a "Moderate Buy", with a consensus target price of $163.20, reflecting confidence among analysts.
• Cardinal Health reported Q1 earnings of $2.08 per share, exceeding consensus estimates of $2.03, amidst a revenue of $60.16 billion for the quarter.

Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Leerink Partnrs increased their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Cardinal Health in a report issued on Tuesday, August 12th. Leerink Partnrs analyst M. Cherny now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $2.20 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $2.17. The consensus estimate for Cardinal Health's current full-year earnings is $7.95 per share. Leerink Partnrs also issued estimates for Cardinal Health's Q2 2026 earnings at $2.22 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.73 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.30 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.45 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $10.62 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $11.95 EPS and FY2029 earnings at $13.46 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Cardinal Health from $197.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $170.00 target price (up from $157.00) on shares of Cardinal Health in a research report on Friday, June 13th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Cardinal Health in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America lifted their price target on Cardinal Health from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $150.00 price target on Cardinal Health in a report on Tuesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.20.

Cardinal Health Stock Performance

NYSE CAH traded up $1.62 on Thursday, reaching $149.74. 256,851 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,403,367. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $159.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $144.20. The company has a market cap of $35.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.18, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.67. Cardinal Health has a 12 month low of $105.01 and a 12 month high of $168.44.

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 12th. The company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $60.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.91 billion. Cardinal Health had a negative return on equity of 74.45% and a net margin of 0.70%. Cardinal Health's quarterly revenue was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.84 EPS.

Institutional Trading of Cardinal Health

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAH. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Cardinal Health in the first quarter worth about $26,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in shares of Cardinal Health by 198.3% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 21,112 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 14,034 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cardinal Health by 75.0% in the second quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 175 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Cardinal Health in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Tompkins Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of Cardinal Health by 106.7% in the first quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 248 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.17% of the company's stock.

About Cardinal Health

Cardinal Health, Inc operates as a healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home.

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