CAH
Cardinal Health Inc. Healthcare - Distribution Investor Relations →
Cardinal Health Inc. (CAH) closed at $226.32 as of 2026-02-02, trading 111.0% above its 200-week moving average of $107.28. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 101.9% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 71, CAH is in overbought territory.
Over the past 2170 weeks of data, CAH has crossed below its 200-week moving average 25 times. On average, these episodes lasted 21 weeks. Historically, investors who bought CAH at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +16.8%.
With a market cap of $53.3 billion, CAH is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 10.2%, which is notably high. The stock trades at -18.5x book value.
CAH is a Dividend Aristocrat, having increased its dividend for 25 or more consecutive years. The current yield is 90.00%. The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 12.6% over the past three years.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in CAH would have grown to $7613, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 14.0% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming CAH as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been declining at a -12.8% compound annual rate. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Growth of $100: CAH vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After CAH Crosses Below the Line?
Across 19 historical episodes, buying CAH when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +20.6% after 12 months (median +4.0%), compared to +7.1% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 58% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +28.8% vs +11.9% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment CAH crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
CAH has crossed below its 200-week MA 25 times with an average 1-year return of +16.8% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1984 | Sep 1984 | 6 | 7.2% | +16.1% | +33447.6% |
| Oct 1984 | Jan 1985 | 15 | 22.4% | +17.5% | +36390.4% |
| Sep 1985 | Sep 1985 | 3 | 1.6% | +17.2% | +32399.2% |
| Oct 1986 | Nov 1986 | 5 | 9.7% | -2.9% | +31414.4% |
| Dec 1986 | Dec 1986 | 3 | 4.0% | -34.5% | +29613.6% |
| Oct 1987 | Jun 1988 | 37 | 36.9% | +19.0% | +28433.1% |
| Oct 1999 | Nov 1999 | 4 | 13.2% | +120.7% | +1673.7% |
| Dec 1999 | Jan 2000 | 4 | 11.8% | +97.3% | +1497.5% |
| Jan 2000 | Apr 2000 | 12 | 21.4% | +104.8% | +1445.5% |
| Jul 2002 | Jul 2002 | 3 | 1.7% | +24.1% | +856.8% |
| Mar 2003 | Mar 2003 | 2 | 10.1% | +21.0% | +796.7% |
| Apr 2003 | May 2003 | 2 | 4.9% | +34.1% | +831.2% |
| Jul 2003 | Aug 2003 | 1 | 2.9% | -20.5% | +790.5% |
| Aug 2003 | Nov 2003 | 12 | 4.3% | -22.9% | +763.7% |
| Dec 2003 | Jan 2004 | 3 | 1.8% | -2.4% | +736.6% |
| Jun 2004 | Sep 2005 | 63 | 38.6% | +12.6% | +863.7% |
| Sep 2007 | Oct 2007 | 1 | 0.2% | -19.6% | +687.4% |
| Nov 2007 | Nov 2010 | 156 | 53.5% | -32.9% | +718.4% |
| Oct 2016 | Nov 2016 | 2 | 6.3% | -5.9% | +338.4% |
| Apr 2017 | May 2017 | 6 | 0.9% | -12.0% | +303.4% |
| Jul 2017 | Feb 2020 | 131 | 35.6% | -24.9% | +320.6% |
| Feb 2020 | Jul 2020 | 21 | 24.2% | +2.8% | +409.4% |
| Aug 2020 | Nov 2020 | 16 | 13.8% | +0.5% | +395.3% |
| Oct 2021 | Nov 2021 | 4 | 2.8% | +45.0% | +410.8% |
| Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | 4 | 3.8% | +66.0% | +413.7% |
| Average | 21 | — | +16.8% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02