Potential Upside For Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) Not Without Risk

Cardinal Health, Inc.'s (NYSE:CAH) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.1x may look like a pretty appealing investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Healthcare industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 1.1x. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

View our latest analysis for Cardinal Health

How Cardinal Health Has Been Performing

Recent revenue growth for Cardinal Health has been in line with the industry. It might be that many expect the mediocre revenue performance to degrade, which has repressed the P/S ratio. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Cardinal Health will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/S?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the industry for P/S ratios like Cardinal Health's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 12% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 38% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 8.6% per annum over the next three years. With the industry predicted to deliver 7.8% growth per year, the company is positioned for a comparable revenue result.

With this information, we find it odd that Cardinal Health is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Final Word

While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

Our examination of Cardinal Health's revealed that its P/S remains low despite analyst forecasts of revenue growth matching the wider industry. When we see middle-of-the-road revenue growth like this, we assume it must be the potential risks that are what is placing pressure on the P/S ratio. However, if you agree with the analysts' forecasts, you may be able to pick up the stock at an attractive price.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Cardinal Health, and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Cardinal Health, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.