Cardinal Health Inc vs Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Cardinal Health Inc trades at $237.35 (market cap $55.88B), while Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $52.73. The key difference: Cardinal Health Inc pays a 0.86% dividend while Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CAH | XLB | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $55.88B | — |
Sector | Health | — |
52-Week High | $240.26 | $53.62 |
52-Week Low | $146.04 | $42.23 |
Enterprise Value | $59.91B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.86% | — |
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.
XLB (Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF) trades at $52.68, down 0.94% on the day, while maintaining a bullish technical outlook with strong moving average support. The materials sector benefits from infrastructure spending and AI-related demand, though recent price action suggests some consolidation after the sector rebound. Technical indicators show mixed signals with overbought short-term RSI but strong trend momentum.
The ETF offers diversified exposure to materials companies with cyclical recovery potential, though valuation metrics appear limited after recent gains. Key risks include economic sensitivity and commodity price volatility, while positive earnings momentum and institutional interest provide support for long-term investors.
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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes securities of companies from the following industries: chemicals; metals and mining; paper and forest products; containers and packaging; and construction materials. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLB →