Topic: How To Invest

Q: I have held Cardinal Health Inc. (CAH) for a couple of years. It is not doing a lot. What are your views on its future potential for growth and the safety of its dividend? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Cardinal Health Inc., $49.39, symbol CAH on New York (Shares outstanding: 292.4 million; Market cap: $14.4 billion; www.cardinalhealth.com), is a leading provider of products and services for the healthcare industry in the U.S. and internationally. Its clients include hospitals, healthcare networks, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centres, clinical laboratories, and physician offices. The company operates through two segments: Pharmaceutical (89% of sales) and Medical (11%). The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded and generic drugs, specialty pharmaceuticals, and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products. The Medical segment manufactures, sources, and distributes Cardinal Health-branded medical, surgical, and laboratory products. In addition, this unit distributes a range of national brand products; it also provides supply chain services to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centres, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare providers. Cardinal Health was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. The company’s sales and profits have shown growth over the last five years. Revenue rose 41.9%, from $102.5 billion in 2015 to $145.5 billion in 2019. Overall earnings climbed 25.5%, from…