Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) Updates FY 2027 Earnings Guidance

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) issued an update on its FY 2027 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 12.400-12.600 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 12.050. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Cardinal Health Stock Performance

Shares of CAH opened at $234.19 on Thursday. Cardinal Health has a 52-week low of $145.47 and a 52-week high of $258.30. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $229.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $216.86. The firm has a market cap of $54.85 billion, a PE ratio of 32.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.49.

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.49. Cardinal Health had a net margin of 0.67% and a negative return on equity of 98.74%. The company had revenue of $63.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.08 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Cardinal Health has set its FY 2027 guidance at 12.400-12.600 EPS. Research analysts predict that Cardinal Health will post 12.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cardinal Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a $0.5158 dividend. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. Cardinal Health’s payout ratio is 28.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CAH has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Cardinal Health in a report on Thursday. Zacks Research downgraded Cardinal Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Leerink Partners set a $292.00 price target on Cardinal Health in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup raised their price objective on Cardinal Health from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Cardinal Health from $274.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $261.47.

Key Stories Impacting Cardinal Health

Here are the key news stories impacting Cardinal Health this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cardinal Health reported fiscal fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.91, well above the $2.42 analyst consensus, as pharmaceutical demand remained strong and medtech profits nearly doubled. The company also forecast fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS of $12.40-$12.60, ahead of the $12.05 consensus, with specialty pharmaceuticals, At-Home Solutions and share repurchases supporting expected 13%-15% EPS growth. Cardinal Health forecasts full-year profit above estimates on specialty drug strength
• Positive Sentiment: The board authorized an additional $5 billion for share repurchases, while fiscal 2026 buybacks reached $1.4 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5158 per share, reinforcing its shareholder-return strategy. Cardinal Health Q4 profit climbs, sees growth in FY27; approves $5 billion buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their targets following the results: Citi to $280 with a Buy rating, Wells Fargo to $277 with an Overweight rating and Baird to $274 with an Outperform rating. Cardinal also said it exclusively serves nearly half of the cell-and-gene therapy market, highlighting growth in specialty logistics. Cardinal Health analysts increase their forecasts following Q4 results
• Neutral Sentiment: Cardinal generated $5.2 billion in fiscal 2026 operating cash flow and $5.0 billion in adjusted free cash flow, providing financial flexibility for investments and buybacks. However, the stock’s elevated valuation—about 32 times earnings and near its 52-week high—means investors may demand continued execution. Cardinal Health cash strength faces a valuation test
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue of $63.67 billion increased 5.8% year over year but missed the $65.15 billion consensus estimate. Additionally, part of the earnings strength came from a one-time tariff refund, raising concerns about how much of the profit beat is repeatable. Can Cardinal Health’s strong earnings guidance offset a mixed quarter?

Institutional Trading of Cardinal Health

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CAH. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Cardinal Health by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,139 shares of the company’s stock valued at $440,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Regal Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Cardinal Health by 2.1% in the third quarter. Regal Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,109 shares of the company’s stock worth $488,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Heritage Wealth Advisors raised its position in shares of Cardinal Health by 31.6% in the fourth quarter. Heritage Wealth Advisors now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Summit Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Cardinal Health by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 2,950 shares of the company’s stock valued at $606,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Hilltop Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Cardinal Health by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 2,542 shares of the company’s stock valued at $522,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cardinal Health Company Profile

Cardinal Health is a multinational healthcare services and products company headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. Tracing its roots to the early 1970s, the company has grown into a major provider of supply chain and distribution services for the healthcare sector. Cardinal Health operates across a range of service lines that support hospitals, health systems, pharmacies, physician offices and clinical laboratories.

The company’s core activities include the wholesale distribution of branded and generic pharmaceuticals, the supply and distribution of medical-surgical products, and the provision of logistics and inventory management solutions.