Cardinal Health Inc vs Novo Nordisk A/S — how do they compare? Cardinal Health Inc trades at $237.67 (market cap $55.88B), while Novo Nordisk A/S trades at $46.23 (market cap $207.85B). The key difference: Novo Nordisk A/S is far larger — about 3.7× Cardinal Health Inc's market cap, and Novo Nordisk A/S pays the higher dividend (3.81%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CAH | NVO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $55.88B | $207.85B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $240.26 | $63.98 |
52-Week Low | $146.04 | $35.29 |
Enterprise Value | $59.91B | $222.55B |
Dividend Yield | 0.86% | 3.81% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Cardinal Health (CAH) trades at $236.87, down 0.13% on the day, near its 52-week high. The stock shows strong momentum with four consecutive quarterly EPS beats, including Q2 2026 EPS of $2.91 versus $2.42 expected. Technical indicators are bullish overall, with moving averages supporting upward trends. Revenue reached $222.58 billion in 2025, with net income margin improving to 0.67%.
Outlook remains positive driven by robust pharmaceutical demand and optimistic FY2027 guidance. Key risks include high debt levels and thin profit margins. Analysts maintain a bullish consensus with a $266.43 price target, representing 12.5% upside. The stock presents a growth opportunity but requires monitoring of margin pressures and cash flow volatility.
Novo Nordisk (NVO) trades at $46.28, down 3.05% today, with technical indicators showing neutral signals. The company maintains strong fundamentals with Q2 2026 EPS beating expectations at $0.96 versus $0.77 estimate, continuing a pattern of earnings outperformance. Revenue growth remains solid with 2025 revenue reaching $309.1B and net income margin of 33.14%. Analyst sentiment remains positive with 57.9% recommending Buy, though recent news highlights competitive pressures from Eli Lilly in the GLP-1 market.
NVO presents a compelling investment case with robust profitability metrics including 59.82% ROE and attractive valuation at 11.62 P/E. However, increasing competition in weight-loss drugs and pricing pressures create headwinds. The stock's current technical neutrality suggests potential consolidation near current levels, with fundamental strength supporting long-term growth prospects despite near-term competitive challenges.
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 →With almost 50% market share by volume of the global insulin market, Novo Nordisk is the leading provider of diabetes-care products in the world. Based in Denmark, the company manufactures and markets a variety of human and modern insulins, injectable diabetes treatments, and oral antidiabetic agents. Novo also has a biopharmaceutical segment (constituting roughly 15% of revenue) that specializes in protein therapies for hemophilia and other disorders.
Read more on NVO →