COMPARE · Reviewed August 3, 2026
CAH vs HSIC
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. CAH scored 58.7, HSIC scored 52.9 — CAH leads.
Compare another set
CAH
Cardinal Health, Inc.
58.7
$233.56 · $54.7B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
5.8
CAH leads
HSIC
Henry Schein, Inc.
52.9
$88.33 · $10.1B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
CAH
stronger →← stronger
HSIC
50
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
61
79
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
68
52
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
35
CAH is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
CAH
HSIC
$5.5bB+
FCF
$445mC
+10.1%B
Rev
+5.6%C+
—
D/E
0.78C+
35.7xC+
P/E
26.7xB
1.42B
PEG
1.84C+
Winner per row is the stronger grade in our model; a tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
CAH
HSIC
66% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
10% above
~-16%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~9%/yr
+158%
1-yr DCF upside
-18%
+190%
5-yr DCF upside
-9%
+247%
10-yr DCF upside
+5%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
CAH
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Short track record
HSIC
Why this score
- Buying back stock
The companies
CAHCardinal Health, Inc.
Why now
Medical Distribution · market cap $54.7b. 4% off the 52-week high of $243.21. Revenue growing +10%, comfortably above the S&P median. 15 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $252.40 (implying +8% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong. $54.7b market cap gives the company enough scale to absorb fixed costs that subscale competitors can't, without yet being so large that growth has to come from acquisition.
Risk
Trailing P/E 36x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates. Net margin 0.7% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first. ROE -58% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.
HSICHenry Schein, Inc.
Why now
Medical Distribution · market cap $10.1b. 4% off the 52-week high of $92.17. 16 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $89.31 (implying +1% upside).
Moat
ROE 13% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere. FCF converts 107% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Net margin 3.1% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.