Cardinal Health Inc vs Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Cardinal Health Inc trades at $234.16 (market cap $55.88B), while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $168.42. The key difference: Cardinal Health Inc pays a 0.86% dividend while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CAH | XLV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $55.88B | — |
Sector | Health | — |
52-Week High | $240.26 | $168.44 |
52-Week Low | $146.04 | $131.16 |
Enterprise Value | $59.91B | — |
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.
XLV, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF, trades at $168.44 with a neutral daily change. Technical indicators show a bullish trend from moving averages but oscillators are neutral, with the 6-day RSI at 86.78 suggesting overbought conditions. The fund's low 0.08% expense ratio and defensive healthcare sector exposure attract steady inflows amid market volatility, as highlighted by recent ETF flow reports.
The outlook for XLV is cautiously optimistic, supported by defensive demand and strong sector earnings. Key opportunities include diversification benefits and cost efficiency, while risks involve sector-specific regulatory pressures and broader economic sensitivity. Investors should weigh the ETF's stability against potential growth limitations in a concentrated portfolio.
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 companies from the following industries: pharmaceuticals; health care equipment & supplies; health care providers & services; biotechnology; life sciences tools & services; and health care technology. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLV →