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CAH vs COR
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Cardinal Health (CAH) vs. Cencora (COR) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- CAH has delivered significantly stronger year-to-date and one-year returns compared to COR, with YTD gains near 16% versus negative territory for COR.
- Both companies operate in pharmaceutical distribution and specialty healthcare services, benefiting from demand for specialty drugs, though CAH has shown more pronounced recent momentum.
- COR reported solid Q3 results with 5% revenue growth and raised full-year guidance, while CAH prepares for its fiscal year-end earnings amid analyst upgrades.
- Valuations differ, with CAH trading at a higher forward P/E ratio reflecting its recent outperformance relative to COR.
- Sector exposure remains similar, centered on healthcare distribution, but CAH has pursued tuck-in acquisitions to expand home care and diabetes services.
- Market sentiment favors CAH on recent price action, while COR offers a more mature specialty platform with international diversification.
Introduction
Cardinal Health (CAH) and Cencora (COR) are leading players in the healthcare distribution sector, providing pharmaceutical and medical product logistics alongside specialty services. Investors and traders often compare these stocks when evaluating exposure to pharmaceutical supply chains, specialty drug demand, and operational efficiency in a regulated industry. This analysis examines their recent performance, business models, and market positioning to assist those seeking relative value within healthcare services. The comparison highlights contrasts in momentum, earnings trends, and risk profiles relevant to portfolio construction in the current environment.
CAH Overview and Recent Performance
Cardinal Health (CAH) distributes pharmaceuticals and medical products while offering related services to hospitals, pharmacies, and other providers. In recent market activity, the stock has posted robust gains, with year-to-date returns around 16% and one-year appreciation exceeding 50%, outpacing broader benchmarks. Shares have traded near 52-week highs near $245 amid analyst price target increases and expectations for strong fiscal fourth-quarter results. Recent developments include tuck-in acquisitions expanding the home care and diabetes businesses, supporting sentiment around growth in specialty and adjacent areas. Operating performance has benefited from demand for specialty pharmaceuticals, contributing to raised profit outlooks earlier in the year.
COR Overview and Recent Performance
Cencora (COR), formerly AmerisourceBergen, focuses on pharmaceutical distribution, specialty services, and global supply chain solutions. During recent market activity, the stock has shown more modest results, with year-to-date performance in negative territory around -5% and one-year gains near 16%. The company delivered third-quarter results featuring 5% revenue growth to $84.8 billion and a 12% rise in adjusted earnings per share to $4.48, prompting an upward revision to full-year guidance. Shares reacted positively to the report before experiencing some consolidation, reflecting steady specialty platform performance offset by broader sector dynamics. The company maintains a large market capitalization and emphasizes diversification across international markets.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Both CAH and COR operate similar distribution models centered on pharmaceuticals and specialty medicines, yet differ in scale and emphasis. COR manages higher overall revenues and a larger market capitalization, supported by a mature international footprint. In contrast, CAH has demonstrated stronger recent price momentum and earnings beat consistency alongside targeted acquisitions in home care. Growth drivers for both include specialty drug demand, though CAH has shown more pronounced recent margin improvements. Risk factors include regulatory pressures and reimbursement changes common to the sector, with COR potentially carrying higher debt levels relative to CAH. Market sentiment has favored CAH on relative performance, while COR offers a trade-off of stability from its established specialty assets. Valuation metrics reflect these dynamics, with CAH commanding a premium multiple.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency, recent momentum, and relative positioning, Tickeron’s AI would likely express a marginal preference for CAH in the current environment. The assessment draws from stronger year-to-date and one-year price performance, analyst upgrades, and acquisition activity supporting operational acceleration. However, COR presents a compelling alternative for those prioritizing earnings stability and specialty platform scale, with outcomes dependent on execution over subsequent quarters.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is CAH is a Hold and COR is a Hold.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
CAH’s FA Score shows that 3 FA rating(s) are green whileCOR’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- CAH’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
- COR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
CAH’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while COR’s TA Score has 2 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CAH’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- COR’s TA Score: 2 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
CAH (@Medical Distributors) experienced а -2.41% price change this week, while COR (@Medical Distributors) price change was +1.34% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Medical Distributors industry was -2.05%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -11.80%, and the average quarterly price growth was -27.80%.
Reported Earning Dates
CAH is expected to report earnings on Oct 30, 2026.
COR is expected to report earnings on Nov 11, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Medical Distributors (-2.05% weekly)Healthcare distribution market can be segmented into pharmaceutical product distribution services, medical device distribution services, and biopharmaceutical product distribution services. In addition to serving as intermediaries, many medical distributors also purchase and take legal ownership of pharmaceuticals and manage inventory and credit risk. According to a Deloitte report, pharmaceutical distributors’ core services of efficient product distribution, inventory management, financial risk management, and information-sharing generate $33 billion-$53 billion in value annually to the U.S. health care ecosystem. Some prominent players in the overall medical distribution industry include McKesson Corporation, AmerisourceBergen Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc. and Patterson Companies, Inc.
| CAH | COR | CAH / COR | |
| Capitalization | 53.4B | 60.7B | 88% |
| EBITDA | 3.27B | 5.19B | 63% |
| Gain YTD | 12.477 | -5.274 | -237% |
| P/E Ratio | 31.74 | 23.61 | 134% |
| Revenue | 251B | 333B | 75% |
| Total Cash | N/A | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 8.92B | 12.4B | 72% |
CAH | COR | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 85 | 86 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 67 Overvalued | 77 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 5 | 28 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 100 | 13 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 24 | 49 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 21 | 76 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 30 | 65 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
CAH's Valuation (67) in the Medical Distributors industry is in the same range as COR (77) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry. This means that CAH’s stock grew similarly to COR’s over the last 12 months.
CAH's Profit vs Risk Rating (5) in the Medical Distributors industry is in the same range as COR (28) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry. This means that CAH’s stock grew similarly to COR’s over the last 12 months.
COR's SMR Rating (13) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is significantly better than the same rating for CAH (100) in the Medical Distributors industry. This means that COR’s stock grew significantly faster than CAH’s over the last 12 months.
CAH's Price Growth Rating (24) in the Medical Distributors industry is in the same range as COR (49) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry. This means that CAH’s stock grew similarly to COR’s over the last 12 months.
CAH's P/E Growth Rating (21) in the Medical Distributors industry is somewhat better than the same rating for COR (76) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry. This means that CAH’s stock grew somewhat faster than COR’s over the last 12 months.
| CAH | COR | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | 3 days ago 47% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 63% | 3 days ago 54% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 43% | 3 days ago 41% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 46% | 3 days ago 50% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 44% | 3 days ago 63% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 64% | 3 days ago 65% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 13 days ago 66% | 5 days ago 61% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 43% | 11 days ago 43% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 59% | 3 days ago 43% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 61% | 3 days ago 63% |
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CAH and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, CAH has been closely correlated with MCK. These tickers have moved in lockstep 66% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if CAH jumps, then MCK could also see price increases.
COR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, COR has been closely correlated with MCK. These tickers have moved in lockstep 70% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if COR jumps, then MCK could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To COR | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COR | 100% | +1.06% | ||
| MCK - COR | 70% Closely correlated | +2.40% | ||
| CAH - COR | 57% Loosely correlated | +0.46% | ||
| YI - COR | 7% Poorly correlated | +1.13% | ||
| HSIC - COR | 6% Poorly correlated | +0.05% | ||
| FOCL - COR | 6% Poorly correlated | -2.59% | ||
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