Compare StocksCAH vs JNJ

Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) vs Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

CAH
Cardinal Health, Inc.
$195.24
VS
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
$227.19

Rewards

CAH
  • Cardinal Health, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Cardinal Health, Inc. scores 84/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Share count has been reduced by 13% over the past 4 years through buybacks, increasing each share's claim on earnings.
JNJ
  • Johnson & Johnson has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
  • Gross margin of 68.0% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Johnson & Johnson scores 90/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.

Risks

CAH
  • Gross margin of 3.8% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
  • Insiders have sold $2.1M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
  • Free cash flow has declined at a 12.8% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.
JNJ
  • Trailing P/E of 26.3x is 32% above the historical average of 20.0x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
  • PEG ratio of 2.95 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
  • 7 insider sales totaling $58.4M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.

Key Valuation Metrics

Learn more →
CAH
JNJ
Valuation
$4.85B
Free Cash Flow
$19.31B
10.56%
FCF Yield
3.53%
29.85
Trailing P/E
26.33
16.40
Forward P/E
17.87
Quality & Moat
31.39%
ROIC
15.32%
N/A
ROE
33.02%
3.76%
Gross Margin
68.04%
1.26
PEG Ratio
2.95
Balance Sheet Safety
N/A
Debt / Equity
0.68
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
1.25
Net Debt / EBITDA
0.96
1.05%
Dividend Yield
2.36%
CAH: 4Ties: 1JNJ: 5
CAHJNJ

Historical Fundamentals

Learn more →
CAH

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

JNJ

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

Learn more →
CAH
$22.91
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$1.23B
Δ Market Cap
+$28.06B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
JNJ
$0.91
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Mediocre Allocator
Σ Retained
$40.05B
Δ Market Cap
+$36.63B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

Learn more →
CAH
32.8% Overvalued
Price is 32.8% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $195.24
Fair Value: $147.00
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
JNJ
11.4% Margin of Safety
Price is 11.4% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $227.19
Fair Value: $256.33
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

Learn more →
CAH

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $195?

+14.4%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies -1.2%

The market implies +14.4% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.

Standard FCF implies a more demanding -1.2%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.

JNJ

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $227?

+8.8%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +13.2%

The market implies +8.8% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.

Standard FCF implies a more demanding +13.2%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.

Economic Moat Score

Learn more →
CAH
84/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
JNJ
90/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

Learn more →
CAH
-2.46
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
JNJ
-2.31
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

Learn more →
CAH
Insiders 0.3%Institutions 90.9%Retail & Other 8.9%
No. of Institutional Holders1,887
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
JNJ
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 76.2%Retail & Other 23.7%
No. of Institutional Holders5,579
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

Learn more →
CAH
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
JNJ
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $257,688
MORIKIS JOHN G
Director
$257,688
@ $206.15 · 2025-11-26
WEINBERGER MARK A
Director
$147,220
@ $147.22 · 2024-12-12
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

Learn more →
CAH
3
Sells (3M)
12
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $52.95M
GREENE MICHELLE D
Chief Technology Officer
$627,387
@ $228.47 · 2026-02-27
ALT AARON E.
Chief Financial Officer
$524,964
@ $225.50 · 2026-02-18
HALL PATRICIA HEMINGWAY
Director
$918,880
@ $229.72 · 2026-02-06
WEITZMAN DEBORAH
Officer
$3.22M
@ $150.53 · 2025-08-20
HOLLAR JASON M
Chief Executive Officer
$5.39M
@ $150.04 · 2025-08-20
SNOW OLA M
Officer
$4.19M
@ $148.94 · 2025-08-19
MAYER JESSICA L.
Officer
$5.67M
@ $148.82 · 2025-08-19
MASON STEPHEN M
Officer
$6.19M
@ $148.82 · 2025-08-19
GREENE MICHELLE D
Chief Technology Officer
$2.01M
@ $148.82 · 2025-08-19
SCHERER MARY C
Officer
$1.01M
@ $149.25 · 2025-08-19
HOLLAR JASON M
Chief Executive Officer
$16.04M
@ $148.90 · 2025-08-19
ALT AARON E.
Chief Financial Officer
$7.18M
@ $148.78 · 2025-08-19
SCHERER MARY C
Officer
$432,919
@ $123.55 · 2024-11-14
MAYER JESSICA L.
Officer
$1.81M
@ $109.39 · 2024-08-21
SNOW OLA M
Officer
$4.13M
@ $108.91 · 2024-08-19
MASON STEPHEN M
Officer
$5.13M
@ $109.21 · 2024-08-19
GREENE MICHELLE D
Chief Technology Officer
$435,400
@ $108.85 · 2024-08-19
HOLLAR JASON M
Chief Executive Officer
$7.97M
@ $108.97 · 2024-08-19
ALT AARON E.
Chief Financial Officer
$252,998
@ $108.91 · 2024-08-19
MAYER JESSICA L.
Officer
$1.91M
@ $106.48 · 2024-08-15
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
JNJ
7
Sells (3M)
12
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $101.23M
DECKER ROBERT J
Officer
$1.01M
@ $247.87 · 2026-02-27
SCHMID TIMOTHY
Officer
$324,763
@ $245.66 · 2026-02-20
SCHMID TIMOTHY
Officer
$5.53M
@ $244.33 · 2026-02-18
SWANSON JAMES D
Chief Technology Officer
$15.11M
@ $243.39 · 2026-02-17
BROADHURST VANESSA
Officer
$1.51M
@ $243.39 · 2026-02-17
REED JOHN C
Officer
$13.11M
@ $243.00 · 2026-02-17
WOLK JOSEPH J
Chief Financial Officer
$21.77M
@ $242.80 · 2026-02-17
REED JOHN C
Officer
$4.19M
@ $192.71 · 2025-10-17
TAUBERT JENNIFER L
Officer
$10.04M
@ $177.81 · 2025-09-04
DUATO JOAQUIN BOIX
Chief Executive Officer
$22.55M
@ $179.21 · 2025-08-22
WOLK JOSEPH J
Chief Financial Officer
$2.98M
@ $176.91 · 2025-08-15
REED JOHN C
Officer
$3.13M
@ $163.55 · 2025-07-17
DECKER ROBERT J
Officer
$1.16M
@ $165.88 · 2025-02-25
SCHMID TIMOTHY
Officer
$62,928
@ $156.15 · 2025-02-18
WOLK JOSEPH J
Chief Financial Officer
$2.00M
@ $153.89 · 2025-02-07
DECKER ROBERT J
Officer
$930,113
@ $165.06 · 2024-08-30
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

Learn more →
CAH
FearGreed
😐Neutral(48/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
JNJ
FearGreed
😐Neutral(57/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

Learn more →
CAH
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (48)
JNJ
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (57)
View CAH Full AnalysisView JNJ Full Analysis
CAH vs JNJ: Which Is the Better Buy? | SafetyMargin.io