Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a positive outlook: Cardinal Health has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, with 16 buy ratings and three holds among 19 analysts. The average 12-month price target is $266.56, above the reported share price of $234.54.
• Quarterly earnings exceeded expectations: Cardinal Health reported adjusted EPS of $2.91, beating the $2.42 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 5.8% year over year to $63.67 billion but fell short of forecasts.
• Shareholders received a quarterly dividend: The company declared a $0.5158-per-share dividend, equivalent to $2.06 annually and a 0.9% yield, payable October 15 to investors of record as of October 1.

Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the nineteen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $266.5625.

Several research firms have recently commented on CAH. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Cardinal Health from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Cardinal Health from $245.00 to $277.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Cardinal Health from $274.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Cardinal Health from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Cardinal Health from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th.

Cardinal Health Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE CAH opened at $234.54 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $54.55 billion, a PE ratio of 32.44, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.51. Cardinal Health has a 12 month low of $145.87 and a 12 month high of $258.30. The company's 50-day moving average price is $234.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $219.70.

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.49. The business had revenue of $63.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.15 billion. Cardinal Health had a net margin of 0.67% and a negative return on equity of 98.53%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.08 EPS. Cardinal Health has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.400-12.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Cardinal Health will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Cardinal Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.5158 per share. This represents a $2.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. Cardinal Health's dividend payout ratio is 28.49%.

Insider Activity at Cardinal Health

In other Cardinal Health news, insider Michelle D. Greene sold 11,650 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.72, for a total transaction of $2,746,138.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 10,330 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,434,987.60. This represents a 53.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Mary C. Scherer sold 2,302 shares of Cardinal Health stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.39, for a total transaction of $546,471.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $667,303.29. The trade was a 45.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 210,271 shares of company stock valued at $49,626,657 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cardinal Health

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its stake in Cardinal Health by 6.9% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 4,363 shares of the company's stock worth $601,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 14,034 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in shares of Cardinal Health during the second quarter worth about $1,935,000. Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Cardinal Health by 17.0% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 40,426 shares of the company's stock worth $6,792,000 after acquiring an additional 5,880 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 34.4% during the second quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC now owns 10,334 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,736,000 after acquiring an additional 2,646 shares in the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cardinal Health Company Profile

Cardinal Health, Inc is a healthcare services and products company that supports the pharmaceutical and medical industries. Its Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions segment distributes branded, generic and specialty pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products and consumer health items to pharmacies, hospitals, health systems and other healthcare providers. The segment also provides specialty pharmaceutical services, nuclear and radiopharmaceutical products, and related support for manufacturers and providers.

Through its Global Medical Products and Distribution segment, Cardinal Health manufactures, sources and distributes medical and surgical products, including gloves, gowns, syringes, exam-room supplies and other essential equipment.

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