Cencora (NYSE:COR) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.13 EPS

Cencora (NYSE:COR) issued its 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 return on equity of 135.20% and a net margin of 0.78%.The company had revenue of $84.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $84.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.00 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis.

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

NYSE:COR traded up $7.80 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $325.02. The company had a trading volume of 2,731,338 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,536,720. The firm has a market cap of $63.24 billion, a PE ratio of 24.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.40, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $291.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $314.58. Cencora has a 1-year low of $244.82 and a 1-year high of $377.54.

Cencora Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Cencora’s payout ratio is 17.83%.

Insider Activity at Cencora

In other Cencora news, Director Lauren M. Tyler purchased 550 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cencora

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Cencora by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,305,507 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,142,935,000 after purchasing an additional 115,191 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Cencora by 80.9% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,661,769 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,574,513,000 after acquiring an additional 2,085,473 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Cencora by 14.2% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,535,992 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,532,031,000 after purchasing an additional 564,871 shares during the period. Boston Partners lifted its holdings in Cencora by 2.0% in the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 4,509,165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,409,152,000 after acquiring an additional 89,506 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Cencora by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,272,464 shares of the company’s stock valued at $710,213,000 after purchasing an additional 126,929 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.52% of the company’s stock.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on COR shares. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Cencora in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Cencora from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $342.00 price target on shares of Cencora in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $370.00 target price on shares of Cencora in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Cencora from $429.00 to $331.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $371.00.

Key Stories Impacting Cencora

Here are the key news stories impacting Cencora this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings beat expectations: Cencora reported 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 estimates. Cencora Reports Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 profit guidance was raised: Management increased its adjusted EPS outlook to $17.75–$17.95 from $17.70–$17.90 while maintaining its approximately $3 billion free-cash-flow target and annual sales forecast. The upgrade signals confidence that operating momentum will continue. Cencora Fiscal 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Specialty-drug demand supported growth: U.S. Healthcare Solutions, specialty products, OneOncology and international operations contributed to the quarter’s performance. Cencora also repurchased $1 billion of stock, supporting capital returns and per-share earnings. Cencora Raises Profit View
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend reaffirmed: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, payable August 31 to shareholders of record August 14, highlighting continued shareholder distributions.
• Neutral Sentiment: Liquidity was strengthened: Cencora and subsidiary Innomar Strategies amended and expanded credit facilities and reset receivables terms. The move improves financial flexibility, but investors may monitor borrowing levels given the company’s high leverage. Cencora Expands Credit Facilities
• Negative Sentiment: Product mix may constrain margins: Management indicated that a higher mix of GLP-1 drugs weighs on margins, partially offsetting the benefit from specialty growth. Cencora’s business also continues to operate with a very thin net margin.

About Cencora

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.