LH vs. CAH
LH (Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings) and CAH (Cardinal Health, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Healthcare sector — LH in Diagnostics & Research, CAH in Medical Distribution. Over the past 10 years, LH returned 9.35%/yr vs 14.97%/yr for CAH. At a 0.27 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
LH vs. CAH - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LH achieves a 3.62% return, which is significantly lower than CAH's 11.94% return. Over the past 10 years, LH has underperformed CAH with an annualized return of 9.35%, while CAH has yielded a comparatively higher 14.97% annualized return.
LH
- 1D
- 1.64%
- 1M
- -0.24%
- YTD
- 3.62%
- 6M
- 2.69%
- 1Y
- 0.11%
- 3Y*
- 9.94%
- 5Y*
- 3.63%
- 10Y*
- 9.35%
CAH
- 1D
- 2.77%
- 1M
- 14.07%
- YTD
- 11.94%
- 6M
- 10.93%
- 1Y
- 41.16%
- 3Y*
- 37.90%
- 5Y*
- 35.52%
- 10Y*
- 14.97%
LH vs. CAH - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LH Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings | 3.62% | 10.62% | 2.22% | 13.82% | -24.41% | 54.37% | 20.32% | 33.88% | -20.78% | 24.25% |
CAH Cardinal Health, Inc. | 11.94% | 76.25% | 19.01% | 34.15% | 54.08% | -0.40% | 10.09% | 18.04% | -24.50% | -12.65% |
Correlation
The correlation between LH and CAH is 0.24, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.25 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.29 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.37 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 29, 1990 | 0.27 |
The correlation between LH and CAH shifts across timeframes, from 0.24 (1 year) to 0.37 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
LH:
$21.44B
CAH:
$54.02B
LH:
$11.28
CAH:
$6.55
LH:
22.93
CAH:
34.95
LH:
1.53
CAH:
0.22
LH:
$14.14B
CAH:
$250.55B
LH:
$4.01B
CAH:
$9.23B
LH:
$1.90B
CAH:
$2.79B
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Return for Risk
LH vs. CAH — Risk / Return Rank
LH
CAH
LH vs. CAH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LH) and Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| LH | CAH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.37 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.07 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.02 | 1.30 | -0.28 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.01 | 2.03 | -2.02 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.01 | 5.32 | -5.31 |
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Drawdowns
LH vs. CAH - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LH drawdown since its inception was -96.15%, which is greater than CAH's maximum drawdown of -61.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LH and CAH.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LH | CAH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -96.15% | -61.93% | -34.22% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -15.22% | -20.42% | +5.20% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -17.36% | -20.42% | +3.06% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -34.61% | -22.80% | -11.81% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -46.58% | -46.13% | -0.45% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -10.41% | -0.18% | -10.23% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -29.58% | -15.93% | -13.65% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 7.65% | 7.76% | -0.11% |
Volatility
LH vs. CAH - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LH) is 6.20%, while Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) has a volatility of 6.99%. This indicates that LH experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than CAH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LH | CAH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.20% | 6.99% | -0.79% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 15.90% | 20.60% | -4.70% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 23.09% | 30.13% | -7.04% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.42% | 25.26% | -1.84% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 26.66% | 29.26% | -2.60% |
Dividends
LH vs. CAH - Dividend Comparison
LH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.11%, more than CAH's 0.89% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAH Cardinal Health, Inc. | 0.89% | 0.99% | 1.28% | 1.98% | 2.57% | 3.80% | 3.62% | 3.80% | 4.24% | 3.00% | 2.41% | 1.68% |
LH Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings | 1.11% | 1.15% | 1.26% | 1.18% | 0.92% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Financials
LH vs. CAH - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings and Cardinal Health, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
LH vs. CAH - Profitability Comparison
LH - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings reported a gross profit of 1.01B and revenue of 3.54B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 28.7%.
CAH - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cardinal Health, Inc. reported a gross profit of 2.50B and revenue of 60.94B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 4.1%.
LH - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings reported an operating income of 380.80M and revenue of 3.54B, resulting in an operating margin of 10.8%.
CAH - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cardinal Health, Inc. reported an operating income of 509.00M and revenue of 60.94B, resulting in an operating margin of 0.8%.
LH - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings reported a net income of 277.80M and revenue of 3.54B, resulting in a net margin of 7.9%.
CAH - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cardinal Health, Inc. reported a net income of 399.00M and revenue of 60.94B, resulting in a net margin of 0.7%.
Frequently Asked Questions
LH and CAH have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
CAH has higher volatility (6.99%) compared to LH (6.20%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LH dropped -96.15% vs CAH's -61.93%.
CAH currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.37 vs 0.00), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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