Core Insights - The 2025 Q4 earnings cycle has shown resilience with strong overall growth among S&P 500 companies, particularly highlighted by Cardinal Health (CAH) and Palantir (PLTR) delivering notably strong results [1][9]. Palantir Performance - Palantir reported sales of $1.4 billion, reflecting a 70% year-over-year growth, with U.S. sales reaching $1.1 billion, up 93% year-over-year and 28% sequentially [2][3]. - The company secured over $4.2 billion in total contract value (TCV), marking an increase of more than 130% from the previous year [3]. - Palantir's customer base expanded by 34% compared to the year-ago period [3]. Cardinal Health Performance - Cardinal Health achieved a double-beat relative to consensus expectations, with sales increasing by 18.8% year-over-year and adjusted EPS growing by 36.3% year-over-year [10]. - The growth was broad-based, particularly in Pharmaceuticals and Specialty Solutions, which saw a 19% year-over-year increase and accounts for approximately 90% of total sales [11]. - Following the strong quarterly performance, Cardinal Health raised its FY26 outlook, projecting adjusted EPS in the range of $10.15 - $10.35, indicating a 24.5% year-over-year growth [12].

Investors often turn to recommendations made by Wall Street analysts before making a Buy, Sell, or Hold decision about a stock. While media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm employed (or sell-side) analysts often affect a stock's price, do they really matter?Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Cardinal Health (CAH) .Cardinal currently has an average brokerage recomme ...

Group 1: LATAM Airlines Group - LATAM Airlines Group is the leading airline in Latin America, providing regional and long-haul flights in Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador [1] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) and has seen a 4.3% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [1] - LATAM Airlines' shares have gained 37.8% over the last three months, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 1.3%, and it possesses a Momentum Score of A [2] Group 2: ING Group - ING Group is a global financial institution of Dutch origin, offering banking, insurance, and asset management services to over 50 million clients in 65 countries [2] - The company holds a Zacks Rank of 1 and has experienced a 7.8% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [2] - ING Group's shares have increased by 10.6% over the last three months, also outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 1.3%, and it has a Momentum Score of A [3] Group 3: Cardinal Health - Cardinal Health is one of the world's largest healthcare services and products providers, operating in Pharmaceutical & Specialty Solutions, Global Medical Products & Distribution, and other growth businesses [4] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 1 and has seen a 4.4% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [4] - Cardinal Health's shares have gained 4.6% over the last three months, again outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 1.3%, and it possesses a Momentum Score of A [5]

Core Insights - Cencora, Inc. (NYSE:COR) is a significant player in the healthcare distribution sector, known for its extensive network and efficient supply chain solutions, competing with major distributors like McKesson and Cardinal Health [1][6] - Wells Fargo has maintained an "Overweight" rating for Cencora, raising its price target from $405 to $429, indicating optimism about the company's future performance [1][5][6] Investment Activity - BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S increased its holdings in Cencora by 17.9% during the third quarter, now owning 144,287 shares valued at approximately $45 million, representing about 0.07% of Cencora's total market value [2][6] - Other investors, including Ameritas Advisory Services LLC and Simplicity Wealth LLC, have also made new investments in Cencora, with stakes valued at around $157,000 and $555,000 respectively [3][6] - Grimes and Company Inc. increased its holdings by 3.6%, now owning 1,272 shares valued at $381,000 [3] Stock Performance - Cencora's stock is currently priced at $363.27, reflecting a price change of $4.02, or a 1.119% increase, with fluctuations between a low of $358.94 and a high of $367.28 on the day [4][6] - Over the past year, the stock has reached a high of $377.54 and a low of $237.71, indicating significant volatility [4][6] - Cencora's market capitalization stands at approximately $70.67 billion, with a trading volume of 946,209 shares, highlighting the company's strong position in the industry [5]

Core Insights - Cardinal Health is a significant player in the healthcare sector, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products to over 100,000 locations daily, focusing on high-margin specialty services and clinical products [1] - Wells Fargo upgraded Cardinal Health to "Overweight" with a price target increase from $237 to $256, indicating a positive outlook on the stock [2][6] Financial Performance - Cardinal Health's Q2 2026 results exceeded expectations, reporting a 19% increase in revenue to $66 billion and a 36% rise in non-GAAP EPS to $2.63, driven by strong pharmaceutical demand [3][6] - The company raised its fiscal year 2026 EPS guidance to between $10.15 and $10.35, indicating a year-over-year growth of 23-26% [4][6] Segment Performance - All five operating segments achieved double-digit profit growth, with the Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions segment leading with a 29% increase [4] - Sales of GLP-1 medications contributed approximately 6 percentage points to the revenue growth in the Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions segment, while the BioPharma Solutions segment experienced over 30% revenue growth [5]

Group 1 - Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE: BDX) is highlighted in Jim Cramer's game plan, showing bullish sentiment towards the company amid significant movements in the medical devices distribution space [1] - The company offers a wide range of medical supplies, diagnostic tools, and lab equipment utilized by healthcare professionals and researchers [2] - Despite the potential of BDX as an investment, certain AI stocks are considered to have greater upside potential and less downside risk [3]

Group 1 - The article emphasizes the unique investment approach of "First Principles," which focuses on breaking down complex financial and technological problems to identify overlooked investment opportunities [1] - The analyst has a strong background in investment, private equity, and venture capital, demonstrating a proven track record of delivering strong returns [1] - The content on Seeking Alpha highlights emerging technologies, sustainable investing, and the intersection of innovation and finance, aiming to share insights and foster collaboration among investors [1]

Core Insights - Cardinal Health delivered a strong second-quarter performance with non-GAAP EPS of $2.63, exceeding the consensus estimate of $2.38 by 10.5% [1] Financial Performance - The reported non-GAAP EPS of $2.63 indicates a significant outperformance compared to market expectations [1] - The consensus estimate was surpassed by 10.5%, highlighting the company's robust financial health in the second quarter [1]

Core Insights - Cardinal Health, Inc. reported strong second-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.63, exceeding estimates by 10% and showing a year-over-year increase of 36.3% [1][8] - The company raised its fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to between $10.15 and $10.35, reflecting confidence in continued strong performance across segments [10][19] Revenue Performance - Total sales increased by 18.6% year-over-year to $65.6 billion, surpassing consensus estimates by 0.9% [2] - Pharmaceutical revenues rose by 19.3% to $60.67 billion, driven by growth in branded and specialty pharmaceutical sales [3] - The Global Medical Products and Distribution segment reported revenues of $3.26 billion, up 3.3% year-over-year [4] - The Other segment, which includes at-Home Solutions and other services, saw sales of $1.72 billion, a significant increase of 34.4% year-over-year [5] Profitability Analysis - Overall gross profit increased by 23.5% year-over-year to $2.4 billion, with a gross margin of 3.7%, up almost 15 basis points [7] - The Pharmaceutical segment's profit reached $687 million, up 29.4% from the previous year, driven by brand and specialty products [4] - The Other segment's profit amounted to $179 million, reflecting a 51.7% increase year-over-year [6] Segment Outlook - The company expects Pharmaceutical segment revenues to grow by 11-13% year-over-year, with segment profit anticipated to increase by 20-22% [11] - Medical segment revenues are projected to grow by 2-4%, with profits expected to be around $150 million [11] - The Other segment is expected to see revenue growth of 26-28% and profit growth of 33-35% [12] Strategic Initiatives - The recent acquisition of Solaris is expected to enhance sales growth in the latter half of 2026, particularly in the Urology MSO space [15] - The launch of the ContinuCare Pathway program aims to improve diabetes supply management and patient access, with significant enrollment from Publix Super Markets [18] - Strong momentum in MSO platforms and anticipated growth in BioPharma Solutions sales are expected to support Specialty revenues to exceed $50 billion in fiscal 2026 [19]

Core Viewpoint - Cardinal Health's stock has significantly increased following the company's fiscal second-quarter earnings report, which exceeded analysts' expectations, and the subsequent upward revision of its fiscal-year earnings guidance for the second time [1]. Financial Performance - Cardinal Health reported fiscal second-quarter earnings that surpassed analysts' expectations, indicating strong financial performance [1]. - The company raised its fiscal-year earnings guidance for the second time in less than a month, reflecting confidence in its ongoing business operations and market conditions [1].