Cardinal Health Inc vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? Cardinal Health Inc trades at $225.38 (market cap $52.42B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $137.99 (market cap $37.05B). The key difference: Cardinal Health Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Yum! Brands, Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.21%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Cardinal Health Inc for 69 Days and Yum! Brands, Inc. for 131 Days on average.
| CAH | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $52.42B | $37.05B |
Volume | 4,140,836 | 2,016,599 |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $248.61 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $147.47 | $135.77 |
Typical Hold Time | 69 Days | 131 Days |
Enterprise Value | $56.45B | $48.65B |
Dividend Yield | 0.92% | 2.21% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Cardinal Health (CAH) trades at $225.38, down 3.08% on the day, with a mixed technical picture showing bullish oscillators but bearish moving averages. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $2.91 exceeding the $2.42 estimate. Revenue for 2025 reached $222.58B, though net margins remain thin at 0.67%. Recent news highlights IRA pricing changes as a potential headwind, while institutional buying and conference participation indicate ongoing interest.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic, supported by analyst consensus favoring Buy ratings and a $273.22 price target implying 21% upside. Key opportunities include specialty growth and tech-enabled platform expansion, but risks involve margin pressure from regulatory changes and high debt levels. The stock's valuation at a P/E of 31.31 may limit near-term gains if earnings growth slows.
YUM! Brands trades at $137.99, down 0.07% with bearish technical signals despite recent earnings beats. The company shows strong fundamentals with $8.21B revenue (2025), 25.4% net margin, and positive cash flow trends. Recent Pizza Hut sale for $1.5B will reduce debt and fund buybacks, while quarterly dividend of $0.75 provides shareholder returns. Analyst consensus is mixed with 41% buy ratings but technical indicators show selling pressure near key resistance at $138.
YUM presents a value opportunity with reasonable P/E of 17.1 and 28% upside to consensus target of $172.38, though high debt levels and consumer spending sensitivity pose risks. The leaner portfolio focusing on KFC and Taco Bell post-Pizza Hut sale could drive efficiency, but investor sentiment remains cautious amid sector headwinds and ongoing legal investigations noted in recent filings.
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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 →Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.
Read more on YUM →