Cardinal Health Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?

Core Viewpoint - Cardinal Health, Inc. has shown significant stock performance, outperforming major indices and demonstrating strong earnings growth potential Company Overview - Founded in 1979, Cardinal Health, Inc. is based in Dublin, Ohio, and operates as a healthcare services and products company both in the United States and internationally [1] - The company has a market capitalization of $49.1 billion and operates in two segments: Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions, and Global Medical Products and Distribution [1] Stock Performance - CAH stock has surged 65.3% over the past 52 weeks, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index, which returned 14% during the same period [1] - The stock has also outperformed the State Street Healthcare Select Sector SPDR ETF's (XLV) 6.1% rise over the past 52 weeks [2] Earnings Forecast - On January 13, Cardinal Health raised its full-year adjusted EPS forecast to at least $10.00 from a previous range of $9.65-$9.85, exceeding the consensus estimate of $9.83 [3] - For the fiscal year ending in June 2026, analysts expect CAH to report a 22.1% year-over-year growth in adjusted EPS to $10.06 [3] - The company has a strong earnings surprise history, surpassing bottom-line estimates in each of the past four quarters [3] Analyst Ratings - CAH has a consensus "Strong Buy" rating overall, with 13 out of 16 analysts recommending "Strong Buy" and three recommending "Hold" [4] - Analyst sentiment has become increasingly bullish, with the number of "Strong Buy" recommendations rising from 12 a month ago to 13 [5] Price Targets - CAH's mean price target of $234 indicates a 13.1% premium to current market prices [6] - The Street-high target of $270 suggests a robust 30.5% upside potential from current price levels [6]