Which has the lower trailing P/E, CAH or HCA?

HCA has the lower trailing P/E: CAH trades at 36.58 and HCA at 13.71. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CAH or HCA?

Over the past five years, CAH grew revenue faster — CAH at a 9.86% CAGR versus HCA at 6.85%.

Does CAH or HCA pay a bigger dividend?

CAH yields 0.86% and HCA yields 0.73% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CAH or HCA more profitable?

HCA runs the higher net margin — CAH at 0.62% versus HCA at 8.77%.

How have CAH and HCA total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CAH delivered 14.12% and HCA delivered 19.26% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) vs HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA)

A side-by-side comparison of Cardinal Health, Inc. and HCA Healthcare, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 6, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CAH

Cardinal Health, Inc.

$56.03B

$239.23HealthcareDelayed quote: Aug 5, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

HCA

HCA Healthcare, Inc.

$88.69B

$409.64HealthcareDelayed quote: Aug 5, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CAH vs HCA

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 15y

CAH +737.9%HCA +1570.8%HCA compounded faster

CAH HCA

CAH vs HCA: by the numbers

•HCA is the larger company ($88.69B vs $56.03B market cap).
•HCA trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (13.71 vs 36.58 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•HCA converts more revenue to profit (8.77% vs 0.62% net margin).
•CAH grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.86% vs 6.85% CAGR).
•CAH pays the higher dividend yield (0.86% vs 0.73%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CAH	HCA
P/E ratio	36.58	13.71
Forward P/E	22.20	13.85
P/S ratio	0.23	1.17
PEG ratio	0.30	0.57
EV / EBITDA	19.40	8.83
FCF yield	7.78%	6.57%

Profitability

Metric	CAH	HCA
Gross margin	3.68%	41.50%
Operating margin	0.92%	15.48%
Net margin	0.62%	8.77%
ROE	-56.13%	-112.56%
ROIC	11.37%	18.53%

Dividends

Metric	CAH	HCA
Dividend yield	0.86%	0.73%
Payout ratio	31.60%	10.48%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CAH	HCA
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	9.86%	6.85%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	6.11%	20.90%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	22.47%	56.45%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	39.48%	11.39%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CAH or HCA?: HCA has the lower trailing P/E: CAH trades at 36.58 and HCA at 13.71. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CAH or HCA?: Over the past five years, CAH grew revenue faster — CAH at a 9.86% CAGR versus HCA at 6.85%.
Does CAH or HCA pay a bigger dividend?: CAH yields 0.86% and HCA yields 0.73% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CAH or HCA more profitable?: HCA runs the higher net margin — CAH at 0.62% versus HCA at 8.77%.
How have CAH and HCA total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CAH delivered 14.12% and HCA delivered 19.26% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CAH analysis Full HCA analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Cardinal Health P/E ratio HCA Healthcare P/E ratio Cardinal Health dividend yield HCA Healthcare dividend yield Cardinal Health ROE HCA Healthcare ROE Cardinal Health operating margin HCA Healthcare operating margin Cardinal Health revenue growth HCA Healthcare revenue growth Cardinal Health free cash flow HCA Healthcare free cash flow

Cardinal Health & HCA Healthcare appear in these rankings

25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest ROIC Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified August 6, 2026.