Cencora (NYSE:COR) Issues Earnings Results

Cencora (NYSE:COR) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $4.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.35 by $0.13, FiscalAI reports. Cencora had a net margin of 0.78% and a return on equity of 135.20%. The company had revenue of $84.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $84.31 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.00 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Cencora’s conference call:

• Fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance was raised to $17.75–$17.95 from $17.70–$17.90, supported by strong year-to-date execution and $1 billion of share repurchases.
• Third-quarter adjusted operating income increased 17% and adjusted EPS rose 12%; U.S. Healthcare Solutions benefited from strong specialty utilization and better-than-expected performance at OneOncology and RCA.
• International Healthcare Solutions operating income grew 21% as European distribution, World Courier, and European 3PL delivered strong results, while MWI Animal Health also performed ahead of expectations.
• Management highlighted continued long-term opportunities in Part B biosimilars, MSO expansion, clinical-trial services, AI-enabled demand forecasting, and specialty logistics, while emphasizing that OneOncology’s integration and platform expansion remain in relatively early stages.
• Higher debt from the OneOncology acquisition lifted quarterly net interest expense by $59 million year over year, and management expects the potential MWI-Covetrus transaction to create an estimated $0.35 fiscal 2027 EPS headwind if it closes around midyear; stronger-dollar effects are also reducing international revenue growth.

Cencora Stock Performance

COR traded up $11.40 on Wednesday, hitting $317.68. 2,291,352 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,365,722. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $291.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $314.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.40. Cencora has a 52 week low of $244.82 and a 52 week high of $377.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.81 billion, a PE ratio of 24.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.57.

Cencora Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Cencora’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on COR. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Cencora from $429.00 to $331.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Cencora from $420.00 to $339.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Cencora from $425.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. UBS Group increased their price target on Cencora from $410.00 to $412.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Cencora from $405.00 to $355.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $367.75.

Insider Transactions at Cencora

In other Cencora news, Director Lauren M. Tyler purchased 550 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $270.23 per share, for a total transaction of $148,626.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 4,359 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,177,932.57. This trade represents a 14.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Cencora

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. United Bank boosted its holdings in Cencora by 4.5% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 7,032 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,109,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new position in Cencora during the 2nd quarter valued at about $595,000. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its stake in shares of Cencora by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 85,534 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,647,000 after purchasing an additional 6,244 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Cencora by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,585 shares of the company’s stock worth $747,000 after buying an additional 1,253 shares during the period. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main raised its stake in shares of Cencora by 26.0% during the second quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 73,452 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,025,000 after buying an additional 15,154 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.52% of the company’s stock.

Cencora declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, May 21st that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 3.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Key Cencora News

Here are the key news stories impacting Cencora this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings beat estimates: Cencora reported fiscal Q3 adjusted diluted EPS of $4.48, up from $4.00 a year earlier and above the roughly $4.35-$4.37 analyst consensus. Revenue rose 5.1% year over year to approximately $84.8 billion, also slightly exceeding expectations. Cencora Reports Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Higher profit guidance: Management raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $17.75-$17.95 from $17.70-$17.90 while maintaining its approximately $3 billion free-cash-flow target. The outlook reflects confidence in specialty pharmaceuticals, U.S. Healthcare Solutions, OneOncology and international operations. Cencora Fiscal 2026 EPS Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Share repurchases added support: Cencora repurchased approximately $1 billion of stock during the quarter, potentially supporting per-share earnings and signaling confidence in its cash-generation capacity. Why Cencora Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share for shareholders of record August 14, payable August 31, reinforcing its shareholder-return program. Cencora Dividend Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Cencora expanded credit facilities and amended receivables terms with subsidiary Innomar Strategies, providing additional liquidity but also highlighting the capital requirements of its distribution business. Cencora Expands Credit Facilities
• Negative Sentiment: Management noted that a higher mix of GLP-1 products is weighing on margins, while the FTC is taking a closer look at Cencora’s proposed Covetrus animal-health merger, creating potential profitability and regulatory risks. FTC Review of Cencora-Covetrus Merger

Cencora Company Profile

Cencora (NYSE:COR) is a global healthcare services and pharmaceutical distribution company that provides end-to-end solutions across the pharmaceutical supply chain. The company’s core activities include wholesale drug distribution, specialty drug distribution, and the operation of specialty pharmacies, complemented by logistics, cold-chain management and other fulfillment services designed to support complex and temperature-sensitive therapies.

Beyond physical distribution, Cencora offers a range of commercial and patient-focused services for pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers.