Buyback yield (TTM)
3.57%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
4.56%
5Y share count change
-17.4%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$1.77B
Cumulative buybacks
$21.17B
Key takeaways
- Cardinal Health (CAH) repurchased about $1.77B of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 17.4% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 3.84× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +16.9% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 45% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for Cardinal Health (CAH)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for Cardinal Health (CAH)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for Cardinal Health (CAH)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for Cardinal Health (CAH)
Latest: $765.00M
Overview
Cardinal Health (CAH) most recent annual buyback spend stands at $765.00M (2025) – edged up 2.0% year-over-year.
Through 2020–2025 (5 years), Cardinal Health buyback spend delivered a +16.9% annualised rate; with mixed annual results across the window.
Cardinal Health buyback spend plunged from $3.66B in 2007 to $765.00M in 2025, a 79.1% drawdown.
Across the available history, buyback spend reached its high of $3.66B in 2007 and its low of $0.00 in 1991.
Cardinal Health Buyback Spend 2025: $765.00M
2025's buyback spend for Cardinal Health came in at $765.00M, edged up 2.0% from 2024.
Cardinal Health Buyback Spend 2024: $750.00M
Cardinal Health posted buyback spend of $750.00M in 2024, plunged 62.5% below 2023.
Cardinal Health Buyback Spend 2023: $2.00B
In 2023, Cardinal Health reported buyback spend of $2.00B, surged 100.0% from 2022.
Cardinal Health Buyback Spend 2022: $1.00B
Cardinal Health buyback spend in 2022 was $1.00B, surged 400.0% from 2021.
Cardinal Health Buyback Spend 2021: $200.00M
Cardinal Health buyback spend in 2021 was $200.00M.
See more financial history for Cardinal Health (CAH).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $765.00M | $244.00M | $521.00M | 1.91% | 0.24B | -2.0% | |
| 2024 | $750.00M | $121.00M | $629.00M | 3.14% | 0.25B | -5.7% | |
| 2023 | $2.00B | $96.00M | $1.90B | 8.33% | 0.26B | -6.1% | |
| 2022 | $1.00B | $0.00 | $1.00B | 7.01% | 0.28B | -5.1% | |
| 2021 | $200.00M | $89.00M | $111.00M | 1.21% | 0.29B | +0.3% | |
| 2020 | $350.00M | $90.00M | $260.00M | 2.30% | 0.29B | -2.7% | |
| 2019 | $600.00M | $82.00M | $518.00M | 4.23% | 0.30B | -4.4% | |
| 2018 | $550.00M | $85.00M | $465.00M | 3.64% | 0.32B | -1.6% | |
| 2017 | $600.00M | $96.00M | $504.00M | 2.44% | 0.32B | -3.0% | |
| 2016 | $651.00M | $111.00M | $540.00M | 2.58% | 0.33B | -1.5% | |
| 2015 | $1.04B | $110.00M | $926.00M | 3.75% | 0.34B | -2.9% | |
| 2014 | $673.00M | $96.00M | $577.00M | 2.90% | 0.34B | +0.3% | |
| 2013 | $450.00M | $93.00M | $357.00M | 2.78% | 0.34B | -1.4% | |
| 2012 | $450.00M | $85.00M | $365.00M | 3.11% | 0.35B | -1.0% | |
| 2011 | $270.00M | $79.50M | $190.50M | 1.72% | 0.35B | -2.5% | |
| 2010 | $230.00M | $99.50M | $130.50M | 1.96% | 0.36B | -0.0% | |
| 2009 | $0.00 | $122.80M | −$122.80M | — | 0.36B | -0.7% | |
| 2008 | $1.18B | $122.30M | $1.06B | 6.44% | 0.36B | -10.1% | |
| 2007 | $3.66B | $138.10M | $3.52B | 14.28% | 0.40B | -5.6% | |
| 2006 | $1.50B | $237.30M | $1.26B | 5.76% | 0.43B | -1.7% | |
| 2005 | $500.30M | $0.00 | $500.30M | 2.04% | 0.44B | +1.4% | |
| 2004 | $1.50B | $0.00 | $1.50B | 4.96% | 0.43B | -5.3% | |
| 2003 | $1.19B | $0.00 | $1.19B | 4.21% | 0.45B | +0.1% | |
| 2002 | $308.30M | $0.00 | $308.30M | 1.24% | 0.45B | -2.2% | |
| 2001 | $139.40M | $0.00 | $139.40M | 0.45% | 0.46B | +2.0% | |
| 2000 | $341.40M | $0.00 | $341.40M | — | 0.45B | +6.2% | |
| 1999 | $47.80M | $0.00 | $47.80M | — | 0.43B | +2.6% | |
| 1998 | $155.00M | $0.00 | $155.00M | — | 0.42B | +74.9% | |
| 1997 | $37.70M | $0.00 | $37.70M | — | 0.24B | +3.4% | |
| 1996 | $1.80M | $0.00 | $1.80M | — | 0.23B | — | |
| 1995 | $6.30M | $0.00 | $6.30M | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $20.70M | $0.00 | $20.70M | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $700.00K | $0.00 | $700.00K | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $200.00K | $0.00 | $200.00K | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | $1.00M | $0.00 | $1.00M | — | — | — |
- 2025$765.00M
- 2024$750.00M
- 2023$2.00B
- 2022$1.00B
- 2021$200.00M
- 2020$350.00M
- 2019$600.00M
- 2018$550.00M
- 2017$600.00M
- 2016$651.00M
- 2015$1.04B
- 2014$673.00M
- 2013$450.00M
- 2012$450.00M
- 2011$270.00M
- 2010$230.00M
- 2009$0.00
- 2008$1.18B
- 2007$3.66B
- 2006$1.50B
- 2005$500.30M
- 2004$1.50B
- 2003$1.19B
- 2002$308.30M
- 2001$139.40M
- 2000$341.40M
- 1999$47.80M
- 1998$155.00M
- 1997$37.70M
- 1996$1.80M
- 1995$6.30M
- 1994$20.70M
- 1993$700.00K
- 1992$200.00K
- 1991$0.00
- 1990$1.00M
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for Cardinal Health (CAH)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 3.84×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for Cardinal Health (CAH)
How Cardinal Health splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as Cardinal Health, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $5.95B | |
| $5.54B | |
| $5.08B | |
| $4.11B | |
| $980.00M | |
| $216.35M | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 |
- $5.95B
- $5.54B
- $5.08B
- $4.11B
- $980.00M
- $216.35M
- $0.00
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $3.90B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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