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Cardinal Health (LTS:0HTG) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
Cardinal Health Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
Cardinal Health Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Cardinal Health's Forward PE Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Cardinal Health Forward PE Ratio Chart
Cardinal Health Annual Data
Trend
2019-06
2020-06
2021-06
2024-06
2025-06
Forward PE Ratio
8.38
9.61
9.23
13.25
18.22
Cardinal Health Quarterly Data
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
2026-03
Forward PE Ratio
8.38
9.48
10.33
8.20
9.61
8.74
9.51
9.94
9.23
9.18
9.37
13.25
14.45
15.16
15.20
18.22
16.22
21.13
17.82
LTS:0HTG vs COR, MCK, HSIC: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Medical Distribution subindustry, Cardinal Health's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Cardinal Health Forward PE Ratio vs Medical Distribution Industry
For the Medical Distribution industry and Healthcare sector, Cardinal Health's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Cardinal Health's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
Cardinal Health (LTS:0HTG) has a Forward PE Ratio of 19.07 as of Jul. 15, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Cardinal Health and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Cardinal Health ranks #41 out of 51 companies in the Medical Distribution industry, placing it in the top 80.4%.
Is Cardinal Health's Forward PE Ratio too high?
Cardinal Health's current Forward PE Ratio is 19.07. The Medical Distribution industry median Forward PE Ratio is 14.70. Cardinal Health's value of 19.07 is 29.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Cardinal Health ranks #41 out of 51 companies in the Medical Distribution industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Cardinal Health has a GF Score™ of 82/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Cardinal Health's Forward PE Ratio compare to COR and MCK?
According to the Medical Distribution industry distribution chart, Cardinal Health ranks #41 out of 51 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places Cardinal Health in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 14.70. Cardinal Health's value of 19.07 is 29.7% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Medical Distribution company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Medical Distribution companies is 14.70, based on 51 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Cardinal Health's current Forward PE Ratio of 19.07 is 29.7% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Cardinal Health and its competitors. For the Medical Distribution industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 14.70 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Cardinal Health's current Forward PE Ratio is 19.07. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Cardinal Health stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cardinal Health (LTS:0HTG) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $141.04, compared to a current price of $228.81 — trading 62.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 19.07 and 29.7% above the Medical Distribution industry median of 14.70. Cardinal Health's overall GF Score™ is 82/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Cardinal Health (LTS:0HTG), the current Forward PE Ratio is 19.07 as of Jul. 15, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Cardinal Health (LTS:0HTG) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cardinal Health stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $228.81 is trading 62.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $141.04.
GuruFocus considers Cardinal Health to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LTS:0HTG:
Forward PE Ratio: 19.07
GF Value™: $141.04 vs. price of $228.81 (62.2% above fair value)
Industry Position: 29.7% above the Medical Distribution median (#41 of 51)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LTS:0HTG stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Cardinal Health is one of three leading pharmaceutical wholesalers in the US, engaged in sourcing and distributing of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospital networks, and healthcare providers. Cardinal, Cencora, and McKesson hold well over 90% of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cardinal Health also supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia.
82GF Score
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Forward PE Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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