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CAH vs CVS
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Cardinal Health (CAH) vs. CVS Health (CVS) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Cardinal Health (CAH) has delivered stronger recent momentum, with shares up over 60% in the past year compared to CVS Health (CVS) gains of around 35%.
- Both companies reported solid earnings beats in their latest quarters, with CAH raising fiscal 2027 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) guidance to $12.40–$12.60 and CVS lifting 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $7.90–$8.10.
- CAH benefits from growth in specialty pharmaceuticals and higher-margin services, while CVS leverages its integrated pharmacy, retail, and health benefits platform amid GLP-1 medication demand.
- CAH stock has shown greater price stability and outperformance versus peers in recent market activity, whereas CVS experienced more volatility following its earnings release.
- Sector exposure differs: CAH focuses primarily on medical distribution, while CVS spans retail pharmacies, pharmacy benefit management, and insurance.
- Market sentiment favors CAH’s consistent execution, though both stocks trade in a defensive healthcare environment with ongoing cost and regulatory considerations.
Introduction
Cardinal Health (CAH) and CVS Health (CVS) represent key players in the healthcare supply chain and services sector. This comparison examines their business models, recent stock performance, and market positioning to assist traders and investors evaluating relative value in the current environment. Portfolio managers, sector analysts, and individual investors monitoring healthcare distribution and pharmacy benefit management may find the analysis relevant for assessing diversification or tactical allocation opportunities.
CAH Overview and Recent Performance
Cardinal Health (CAH) operates as a major medical products and pharmaceutical distributor, with growing emphasis on specialty solutions and healthcare services. In recent market activity, shares have advanced notably, reflecting strong fiscal results and upward revisions to earnings guidance. The company reported robust adjusted EPS growth in its latest quarter, supported by expansion in higher-margin segments such as theranostics and specialty pharmaceuticals. Sentiment has remained constructive amid consistent execution and raised outlooks, contributing to outperformance relative to broader market indices over the past year.
CVS Overview and Recent Performance
CVS Health (CVS) provides integrated healthcare solutions through retail pharmacies, pharmacy benefit management, and insurance operations. Recent market activity shows mixed price behavior following its second-quarter earnings release, where the company beat estimates and raised full-year guidance. Shares experienced initial volatility but later stabilized amid analyst commentary and demand for weight-loss medications. The firm continues to navigate client retention dynamics in its benefits segment while expanding services in GLP-1 therapies, resulting in more tempered relative performance compared with certain peers.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Cardinal Health (CAH) and CVS Health (CVS) differ in scale and focus: CAH centers on wholesale distribution with increasing specialty and services revenue, while CVS integrates retail, benefits management, and insurance. Growth drivers for CAH include specialty pharmaceutical expansion and margin improvement, contrasting with CVS emphasis on GLP-1 access and operational recovery in benefits. Recent momentum favors CAH’s steadier price appreciation and guidance upgrades, whereas CVS has faced greater post-earnings volatility. Risk factors include regulatory pressures for both, with CAH exposed to distribution margins and CVS to medical cost trends and membership shifts. Sector exposure positions CAH more defensively in supply chain logistics, while CVS offers broader consumer-facing and payer exposure. Overall market sentiment reflects greater consistency in CAH positioning amid evolving healthcare dynamics.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency, earnings momentum, and relative positioning in recent market activity, Tickeron’s AI would currently assign a higher probabilistic preference to Cardinal Health (CAH). Stronger guidance raises, specialty growth contributions, and sustained price performance provide a more stable profile compared with CVS Health (CVS) volatility following its earnings update. This assessment remains probabilistic and draws solely from publicly available performance indicators rather than forward projections.
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 StrongBuy and CVS is a StrongBuy.
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 whileCVS’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- CAH’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
- CVS’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 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while CVS’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CAH’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
- CVS’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
CAH (@Medical Distributors) experienced а +5.38% price change this week, while CVS (@Managed Health Care) price change was +3.95% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Medical Distributors industry was -2.67%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -16.49%, and the average quarterly price growth was -25.64%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Managed Health Care industry was +2.12%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +0.66%, and the average quarterly price growth was +53.87%.
Reported Earning Dates
CAH is expected to report earnings on Oct 30, 2026.
CVS is expected to report earnings on Nov 04, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Medical Distributors (-2.67% 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.
@Managed Health Care (+2.12% weekly)Managed healthcare industry focuses on providing health/medical and disability insurance plans, generally intended to reduce the cost of for-profit health care. The insurance products might be provided through employer-paid (fully or partly) insurance and benefit programs, or through Medicare/Medicaid. Some of the largest providers of managed health care include Aetna, Humana Inc., and Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare.
| CAH | CVS | CAH / CVS | |
| Capitalization | 57.5B | 124B | 46% |
| EBITDA | 3.48B | 13.4B | 26% |
| Gain YTD | 21.137 | 24.750 | 85% |
| P/E Ratio | 34.19 | 25.53 | 134% |
| Revenue | 254B | 415B | 61% |
| Total Cash | 4.86B | 14B | 35% |
| Total Debt | 8.89B | 76.3B | 12% |
CAH | CVS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 50 | 50 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 64 Fair valued | 2 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 4 | 68 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 99 | 81 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 15 | 46 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 14 | 22 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | n/a | n/a |
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.
CVS's Valuation (2) in the Drugstore Chains industry is somewhat better than the same rating for CAH (64) in the Medical Distributors industry. This means that CVS’s stock grew somewhat faster than CAH’s over the last 12 months.
CAH's Profit vs Risk Rating (4) in the Medical Distributors industry is somewhat better than the same rating for CVS (68) in the Drugstore Chains industry. This means that CAH’s stock grew somewhat faster than CVS’s over the last 12 months.
CVS's SMR Rating (81) in the Drugstore Chains industry is in the same range as CAH (99) in the Medical Distributors industry. This means that CVS’s stock grew similarly to CAH’s over the last 12 months.
CAH's Price Growth Rating (15) in the Medical Distributors industry is in the same range as CVS (46) in the Drugstore Chains industry. This means that CAH’s stock grew similarly to CVS’s over the last 12 months.
CAH's P/E Growth Rating (14) in the Medical Distributors industry is in the same range as CVS (22) in the Drugstore Chains industry. This means that CAH’s stock grew similarly to CVS’s over the last 12 months.
| CAH | CVS | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 50% | 3 days ago 66% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 46% | 3 days ago 64% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 76% | 3 days ago 70% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 82% | 3 days ago 60% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 66% | 3 days ago 64% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 64% | 3 days ago 55% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 67% | 6 days ago 67% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 10 days ago 43% | 3 days ago 60% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 44% | 3 days ago 65% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 59% | 3 days ago 57% |
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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 67% 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.