Cardinal Health Inc vs Novavax Inc — how do they compare? Cardinal Health Inc trades at $234.16 (market cap $55.88B), while Novavax Inc trades at $7.92 (market cap $1.31B). The key difference: Cardinal Health Inc is far larger — about 42.7× Novavax Inc's market cap, and Cardinal Health Inc pays a 0.86% dividend while Novavax Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CAH | NVAX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $55.88B | $1.31B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $240.26 | $11.19 |
52-Week Low | $146.04 | $6.22 |
Enterprise Value | $59.91B | $889.30M |
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.
NVAX trades at $7.95, up 0.76% on the day, with a bullish technical signal despite mixed indicators. The company reported a net income of $440.30M for 2025, a significant turnaround from prior losses, and has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent news highlights Q2 2026 results and a raised revenue outlook, driven by licensing milestones with Sanofi.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic given strong analyst buy ratings (73.92%) and improved financials, but risks include persistent negative cash flows, high debt, and competitive vaccine market pressures. Investment appeal hinges on execution of partnerships and cost management to sustain profitability.
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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 →Novavax, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company. The Company creates novel vaccines to address a broad range of infectious diseases worldwide using proprietary virus-like particle (VLP) technology.
Read more on NVAX →