Cencora (NYSE:COR) Shares Up 9.1% Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Cencora, Inc. (NYSE:COR)’s stock price traded up 9.1% during trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $359.10 and last traded at $359.90. 383,655 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 68% from the average session volume of 1,195,642 shares. The stock had previously closed at $329.97.

The company reported $4.08 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.04 by $0.04. Cencora had a return on equity of 176.54% and a net margin of 0.50%.The firm had revenue of $85.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $86.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.73 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis.

Cencora Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Cencora’s payout ratio is currently 30.19%.

Key Cencora News

Here are the key news stories impacting Cencora this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cencora completed the OneOncology acquisition and said the deal terms reflect trust between the parties; management is integrating the business while highlighting strategic upside from the oncology franchise. As Cencora Closes With OneOncology, Patton Says “Trust”
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat on EPS ($4.08 vs. ~$4.04 consensus) and gross margins improved; management reiterated and raised parts of its 2026 outlook, including 11.5%–13.5% operating income growth guidance. Cencora beats quarterly profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share (record date Feb 13, payable Mar 2), which supports income-oriented investor demand and signals confidence in cash flow.
• Neutral Sentiment: Evercore ISI trimmed its price target from $440 to $420 but kept an “outperform” rating — a modest re‑calibration that still implies upside vs. current levels. Evercore target lowered
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials and the full call transcript/slides give more color on GLP‑1 and specialty medicine demand that management expects to drive growth; these details may matter to longer‑term estimates. Earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue narrowly missed Street estimates ($85.93B vs. ~$86.12B), which triggered initial investor concern and explains some intra‑day volatility despite the EPS beat. Cencora Falls on 1Q Revenue Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Some headlines noted Cencora underperformed peers on the day, reflecting mixed investor assessment of near‑term execution risks as OneOncology is integrated. Underperformance vs competitors

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Cencora from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Cencora from $380.00 to $360.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on Cencora from $440.00 to $420.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. TD Cowen raised their target price on Cencora from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $415.00 price target on Cencora in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $394.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Silvana Battaglia sold 1,677 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.00, for a total transaction of $578,565.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,796 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,484,620. This represents a 8.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Elizabeth S. Campbell sold 3,351 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $342.10, for a total value of $1,146,377.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,891 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,173,111.10. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 20,316 shares of company stock worth $7,151,265 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Cencora

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in COR. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Cencora during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $157,000. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Cencora by 6.1% in the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,270 shares of the company’s stock worth $681,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cencora in the second quarter worth $222,000. Valmark Advisers Inc. increased its position in shares of Cencora by 4.6% during the second quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 1,109 shares of the company’s stock worth $333,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its stake in shares of Cencora by 9.7% in the second quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 8,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,668,000 after acquiring an additional 788 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.52% of the company’s stock.

Cencora Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $68.31 billion, a PE ratio of 42.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $346.10 and a 200-day moving average of $325.46.

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.