Does Cardinal Health, Inc. have an economic moat?

Based on its FY2025 SEC filings, the Moat Index scores Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) 45.0 out of 100 — a Shallow moat. The four filters behind that score (each 0–100): pricing power 13, returns on capital 59, balance-sheet safety 56, capital discipline 62.

Is CAH stock trading below its intrinsic value?

Against a deliberately conservative owner-earnings model (9% discount rate, 4% assumed growth, capped at 4%), estimated intrinsic value is $74.93 per share versus a recent price of $228.52 — 205% above value. This is an educational estimate computed from primary SEC filings, not investment advice.

How has CAH's Moat Score changed over time?

The record logs 3 readings since Jul 17, 2026; the latest reads 45.0 out of 100 (shallow moat). No tier changes on record yet. The history is append-only — readings are only ever added, never rewritten.

The Moat Index

Cardinal Health, Inc.

CAH · Industrials · $54.6B mkt cap · FY2025 filings · Shallow moat ·

Doesn't clear the bar

Shallow moat

The four filters

Pricing power13

Median gross margin 4.3% over 10y, stable.

Returns on capital59

Median ROIC 12.8%, above the 9% hurdle in 71% of years.

Balance-sheet safety56

Net debt/EBITDA 1.5x, interest coverage 11x.

Capital discipline62

Owner earnings +1.3%/yr, share count shrinking (buybacks).

Margin of safety

Above valueOn sale

205% above value

Owner earnings (normalized): $994.0M
Est. intrinsic value / share: $74.93
Recent price: $228.52
Discount to value: 205% above value

Conservative model: 9% discount rate, 4% assumed growth (capped at 4%), maintenance capex ≈ min(capex, D&A).

19 years of fundamentals

The business, in plain English

Cardinal Health, Inc. booked $222.6B of revenue in FY2025 in the Industrials sector and kept 3.7% of it as gross profit — a thin-margin business by that measure. After every other cost, 0.7% of each revenue dollar reached the bottom line.

Across the filed record, revenue grew from $87.4B (FY2008) to $222.6B (FY2025) — about 5.7% a year compounded over 17 years.

It earned 90.8% on invested capital in FY2025, with a median of 13.6% across 15 filed years. The Returns on Capital filter above scores it 59/100.

The balance sheet carried $8.5B of total debt in FY2025 against $1.8B of owner earnings — roughly 4.7 years of owner earnings to retire it all. Balance-Sheet Safety scores it 56/100.

The share count fell 32.0% between FY2010 and FY2025 — management has been retiring shares, which concentrates each remaining owner's claim. Capital Discipline scores it 62/100.

Put together: Capital Discipline is the strongest of the four filters (62/100) and Pricing Power the weakest (13/100), which is how CAH lands at 45/100 — a Shallow moat.

This breakdown is generated from the filed numbers and sub-scores above — no outside narrative, no estimates. Where a filing doesn’t disclose an input, the sentence that would need it is omitted instead of guessed.

RevenueSales, as filed$222.6B FY2025

Gross marginRevenue kept after cost of goods3.7% FY2025

Return on invested capitalOperating profit on the capital employed90.8% FY2025

Owner earningsCash an owner could take out$1.8B FY2025

Gaps in a line mean that item isn’t in CAH’s filings for that year — the series is never interpolated or estimated. The Table view lists every filed value, including operating and net margins, total debt, and share count.

Moat Score history

Moat Score over timeLast scored reading of each day, on the 0–100 scale45.0 / 100

Score history begins Jul 17, 2026 — the record builds from here and can’t be backfilled.

Tier changesSame-methodology crossings of the Wide / Narrow / Shallow bars

None yet — CAH has read Shallow moat for every logged capture since Jul 17, 2026.

Scores are logged append-only and never overwritten — this record can’t be backfilled, which is exactly why it’s worth keeping.

Industrials context

#131 of 309 scored Industrials companies, ranked by Moat Score.

Nearest peers by Moat Score

#129RLGT RADIANT LOGISTICS, INC.45.3 out of 100, Shallow moatShallow moat
#130WCC WESCO International, Inc.45.1 out of 100, Shallow moatShallow moat
#132FWRD FORWARD AIR CORP44.9 out of 100, Shallow moatShallow moat
#133CARR CARRIER GLOBAL CORPORATION44.8 out of 100, Shallow moatShallow moat

Compare CAH with its nearest peers →All Industrials companies on the Index →

Common questions about CAH

Does Cardinal Health, Inc. have an economic moat?: Based on its FY2025 SEC filings, the Moat Index scores Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) 45.0 out of 100 — a Shallow moat. The four filters behind that score (each 0–100): pricing power 13, returns on capital 59, balance-sheet safety 56, capital discipline 62.
Is CAH stock trading below its intrinsic value?: Against a deliberately conservative owner-earnings model (9% discount rate, 4% assumed growth, capped at 4%), estimated intrinsic value is $74.93 per share versus a recent price of $228.52 — 205% above value. This is an educational estimate computed from primary SEC filings, not investment advice.
How has CAH's Moat Score changed over time?: The record logs 3 readings since Jul 17, 2026; the latest reads 45.0 out of 100 (shallow moat). No tier changes on record yet. The history is append-only — readings are only ever added, never rewritten.

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Scored from primary SEC filings via the public methodology. Educational only — not a recommendation to buy or sell CAH. See the disclaimer.