Cardinal Health Inc vs National Beverage Corp. — how do they compare? Cardinal Health Inc trades at $234.16 (market cap $55.88B), while National Beverage Corp. trades at $30.9 (market cap $2.89B). The key difference: Cardinal Health Inc is far larger — about 19.3× National Beverage Corp.'s market cap, and Cardinal Health Inc pays a 0.86% dividend while National Beverage Corp. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CAH | FIZZ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $55.88B | $2.89B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $240.26 | $46.75 |
52-Week Low | $146.04 | $30.53 |
Enterprise Value | $59.91B | $2.60B |
Dividend Yield | 0.86% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Cardinal Health (CAH) trades at $235.3, down 0.79% on the day, but remains near its 52-week high. The stock exhibits a bullish technical signal with consistent earnings beats in recent quarters, including Q2 2026 EPS of $2.91 versus $2.42 expected. Revenue for fiscal 2025 was $222.58 billion, with net income reaching $1.56 billion. Analyst consensus is strongly positive, with 18 buys and a $266.43 price target, reflecting confidence in the company's pharmaceutical and specialty business growth.
The outlook for CAH is favorable, driven by robust earnings performance and optimistic fiscal 2027 guidance. Key opportunities include sustained demand for specialty drugs and operational efficiency gains. Risks involve high debt levels, with a debt-to-asset ratio of 16.09 in 2025, and competitive pressures in the healthcare distribution sector. Investors should weigh strong analyst support against balance sheet leverage and market volatility.
FIZZ trades at $30.95, down 0.29% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages and a neutral stance from oscillators. Revenue has been stable around $1.2B annually, with net income margins improving to 15.56% in 2025. Recent earnings have missed expectations in three of the last four quarters, while the company declared a special dividend of $3.25 per share payable in July 2026.
The outlook is mixed; strong profitability and a reasonable P/E of 15.73 offer value, but stagnant growth and bearish analyst consensus pose risks. The stock's performance hinges on reversing earnings misses and addressing competitive pressures in the beverage market.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Cardinal Health is a leading pharmaceutical wholesaler, engaged in the sourcing and distribution of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail-order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with AmerisourceBergen and McKesson, the three compose well over 90% of the U.S. pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cardinal Health also supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Read more on CAH →National Beverage Corp is one of the top 10 non-alcoholic beverage companies in the U.S. Its portfolio skews toward functional drinks (that is those purporting to offer health benefits) and is anchored by the popular LaCroix sparkling water trademark. Other offerings include Rip It energy drinks, Everfresh juices, and soda brands like Shasta and Faygo. The firm controls most of its production and distribution apparatus, with very little outsourcing. In terms of go-to-market, it uses warehouse distribution for big-box retailers, direct-store-delivery for convenience stores and other small outlets, and food-service distributors for the food-service channel (schools, hospitals, restaurants). It is controlled by chairman and CEO Nick Caporella, who owns over 73% of the common stock.
Read more on FIZZ →