Cencora, Inc. (NYSE: COR)

Sector: Healthcare Industry: Medical Distribution CIK: 0001140859
Market Cap 79.51 Bn
P/B 31.14
P/E 93.02
P/S 0.52
ROIC (Qtr) 22.48
Div Yield % 0.57
Rev 1y % (Qtr) 5.45
Total Debt (Qtr) 7.92 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 4.15
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About

Cencora, Inc. (COR), a Delaware corporation, is a prominent player in the pharmaceutical industry, which is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 7.9% from 2022 to 2027. This growth is driven by factors such as an aging population, the introduction of new pharmaceuticals, increased use of generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals, and the increased use of drug therapies. Cencora's primary business activities involve the distribution of a wide range of pharmaceutical products and services. The company offers brand-name,...

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Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Strong operating cash flow of 4.29B provides robust 0.54x coverage of total debt 7.92B, indicating excellent debt servicing capability and financial flexibility.
  • Healthy cash reserves of 1.75B provide 5.12x coverage of short-term debt 342.28M, demonstrating strong liquidity position and minimal refinancing risk.
  • Operating cash flow of 4.29B provides exceptional 285.82x coverage of minority interest expenses 15.01M, showing strong core operations.
  • Operating cash flow of 4.29B provides exceptional 12.76x coverage of interest expenses 336.02M, showing strong debt service capability.
  • Operating cash flow of 4.29B provides strong 29.86x coverage of stock compensation 143.63M, indicating sustainable incentive practices.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 4.29B barely covers its investment activities of (4.93B), with a coverage ratio of -0.87, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • With cash reserves of 1.75B against inventory of 24.08B, the 0.07 cash-to-inventory ratio suggests potential liquidity risks if inventory turnover slows, particularly concerning given current supply chain volatilities.
  • Operating cash flow of 4.29B provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (452.71M) with a -9.47 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Cash reserves of 1.75B provide limited coverage of acquisition spending of (4.31B), which is -0.41x, suggesting aggressive expansion might strain liquidity if market conditions deteriorate.
  • Free cash flow of 3.65B represents just -11.18x of debt issuance (326.36M), suggesting concerning reliance on leverage rather than internal cash generation for growth.

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Medical Distribution
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 MCK Mckesson Corp 117.90 Bn 27.17 0.30 8.62 Bn
2 CAH Cardinal Health Inc 80.96 Bn 103.48 0.82 9.03 Bn
3 COR Cencora, Inc. 79.51 Bn 93.02 0.52 7.92 Bn
4 HSIC Henry Schein Inc 9.46 Bn 24.20 0.73 3.44 Bn
5 AHG Akso Health Group 0.37 Bn -2.71 24.79 0.00 Bn
6 EDAP Edap Tms Sa 0.17 Bn -7.47 2.30 0.01 Bn
7 QIPT Quipt Home Medical Corp. 0.17 Bn -15.61 0.63 0.11 Bn
8 EMPG Empro Group Inc. 0.12 Bn 157.82 21.62 -

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 1.04 1.06
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 55.17 13.08
EV to Debt EV to Debt 10.30 282.28
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 57.20 6.31
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 48.73 12.22
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 85.64 15.66
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.03 1.21
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 0.54 1.87
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 31.14 11.46
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 93.02 34.37
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) 3.59 2.22
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 26.80 5.88
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 2.25 0.67
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 11.97 2.23
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 7.94 60.87
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) -23.04 -12,260.13
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) -45.63 27.05
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) 8.17 2.21
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 23.43 -177.28
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 28.69 368.76
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 35.30 -206.06
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 27.60 -173.08
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 17.86 -21.54
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) 672.06 -218.00
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 19.93 15.84
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 4.16 1.93
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.09 0.06
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.03 0.22
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 0.92 1.54
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 4.15 -0.33
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 7.94 60.87
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 7.94 60.87
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 1.00 -94.80
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 0.82 -102.39
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 0.72 -105.05
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 3.70 23.37
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 0.50 -86.72