Canon vs Cardinal Health: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Canon reported ~$31B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$2.2B of net income. Cardinal Health reported $254.2B of revenue in FY2026 and $1.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Canon
- Latest revenue
- ~$31B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$2.2B
- Net margin
- 7.2%
- Revenue growth
- +3.5% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Cardinal Health
- Latest revenue
- $254.2B (FY2026)
- Net income
- $1.7B
- Net margin
- 0.7%
- Revenue growth
- +7.7% a year, FY2017–FY2026
Financial summary
Canon
Canon's sales fell from ~$27.3 billion (¥4,080.0 billion) in 2017, the first full year with Toshiba Medical, to ~$21.2 billion (¥3,160.2 billion) in 2020 as cameras and office printing shrank and the pandemic hit. They have grown every year since, reaching a record ~$31 billion (¥4,624.7 billion) in 2025 (+2.5%). Operating profit was ~$3.05 billion (¥455.4 billion) in 2025, a 9.8% margin, up from ~$1.87 billion (¥279.8 billion) in 2024, when a ~$1.11 billion (¥165.1 billion) goodwill impairment on the medical business cut net income to ~$1.07 billion (¥160.0 billion). Net income attributable to Canon Inc. more than doubled to ~$2.23 billion (¥332.1 billion) and EPS rose to ¥367.48. Canon paid a ¥160 dividend (42.9% payout), generated ~$1.6 billion (¥238.5 billion) of free cash flow and ended 2025 with ~$6.34 billion (¥946.2 billion) of interest-bearing debt, up from ~$4.45 billion (¥663.5 billion). By region, the Americas supplied 32% of 2025 sales, Europe 26%, Japan 21% and Asia and Oceania 21%. In July 2026, after record second-quarter sales, Canon guided to ~$32.2 billion (¥4,800.0 billion) of 2026 sales and ~$3.12 billion (¥465.0 billion) of operating profit.
Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health combines very large revenue with thin margins. Fiscal 2026 revenue was $254.2 billion, up 14% from $222.6 billion in fiscal 2025, driven by brand and specialty drug volume from existing customers. GAAP operating earnings were $2.6 billion, GAAP diluted EPS was $7.23, and net earnings attributable to Cardinal Health were about $1.7 billion. Non-GAAP diluted EPS rose 37% to $11.26 ($10.95 excluding the IEEPA tariff refund). Operating cash flow was $5.2 billion and adjusted free cash flow was $5.0 billion. The company repurchased $1.4 billion of stock in fiscal 2026 and the board added $5.0 billion to the buyback authorization in August 2026. Fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue was $63.7 billion, up 6%.
Revenue and profit by year
Canon
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$31B | ~$2.2B | 7.2% | +2.5% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$30.2B | ~$1.1B | 3.5% | +7.9% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$28B | ~$1.8B | 6.3% | +3.7% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$27B | ~$1.6B | 6.1% | +14.7% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$23.5B | ~$1.4B | 6.1% | +11.2% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$21.2B | ~$558.2M | 2.6% | -12.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$24.1B | ~$837.3M | 3.5% | -9.1% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$26.5B | ~$1.7B | 6.4% | -3.1% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$27.3B | ~$1.6B | 5.9% | +19.9% | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$22.8B | ~$1B | 4.4% | — | Source |
Cardinal Health
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $254.2B | $1.7B | 0.7% | +14.2% | Source |
| FY2025 | $222.6B | $1.6B | 0.7% | -1.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | $226.8B | $852M | 0.4% | +10.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | $205B | $330M | 0.2% | +13.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | $181.3B | -$938M | -0.5% | +11.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $162.5B | $611M | 0.4% | +6.2% | Source |
| FY2020 | $152.9B | -$3.7B | -2.4% | +5.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $145.5B | $1.4B | 0.9% | +6.4% | Source |
| FY2018 | $136.8B | $256M | 0.2% | +5.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | $130B | $1.3B | 1.0% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Canon
- Printing54%
Office multifunction devices, prosumer laser and inkjet printers and production presses, with recurring toner, ink and service revenue. ~$16.7 billion (¥2,494.4 billion) in 2025.
- Imaging23%
Cameras and lenses (~$4.19 billion (¥625.5 billion)) and network cameras and video software (~$2.88 billion (¥429.4 billion)). ~$7.07 billion (¥1,054.9 billion) in 2025.
- Medical13%
CT, MRI, ultrasound and X-ray equipment and service. ~$3.89 billion (¥580.6 billion) in 2025.
- Industrial8%
Semiconductor and flat-panel lithography, nanoimprint, OLED deposition and sputtering equipment. ~$2.42 billion (¥361.1 billion) in 2025.
- Others & Corporate5%
Other businesses and corporate items, ~$1.59 billion (¥237.1 billion) in 2025, before eliminations of intersegment sales.
Cardinal Health
- Pharmaceutical Distribution - Branded, Generic, and Specialty~92%
Product sales and fees from distributing branded, generic, and specialty drugs, plus services from specialty practice platforms. Fiscal 2026 segment revenue was $234.8 billion (up 15%) and segment profit was $2.8 billion (up 23%), driven by brand and specialty volume and generics program performance.
- Medical and Surgical Products Manufacturing and Distribution~5%
Sales of Cardinal Health-brand and national-brand medical, surgical, and laboratory products. Fiscal 2026 GMPD revenue was $12.7 billion and segment profit was $258 million, including a one-time $100 million IEEPA tariff refund benefit. Fiscal 2027 guidance calls for $200-$220 million of segment profit.
- Nuclear Pharmacy, at-Home Solutions, and Logistics~3%
Nuclear and Precision Health Solutions (radiopharmaceuticals), at-Home Solutions (direct-to-patient supplies), and OptiFreight Logistics. Together they generated $6.8 billion of fiscal 2026 revenue (up 26%) and $707 million of segment profit (up 37%), the highest margins in the company.
Business model and strategy
Canon
How it makes money
Canon designs, builds and sells hardware, then earns recurring revenue from consumables, service contracts and software on the installed base.
Growth strategy
Phase VII sets 2030 sales targets for each unit: Printing ~$18.8 billion (¥2.8 trillion) (about 2% a year), Imaging ~$8.98 billion (¥1.34 trillion) (5%), Medical ~$5.03 billion (¥750 billion) (5%) and Industrial ~$4.02 billion (¥600 billion) (10%). Growth products named in the plan are nanoimprint lithography, photon-counting CT and industrial printing equipment.
Competitive advantage
Canon's edge is vertical integration in optics and imaging. It designs its own lenses, CMOS image sensors, print engines and image-processing chips, and builds much of its own production equipment. That depth shows in its patent output (seventh in U.S. patent grants in 2025 and in the top 10 for 42 straight years, according to IFI Claims) and in a camera business that has held the No.
Cardinal Health
How it makes money
The business model is large, high-volume logistics divided into two segments: Pharmaceutical and Medical. In the Pharma segment, they buy billions of dollars of drugs from manufacturers (like Pfizer) and distribute them daily to tens of thousands of pharmacies and hospitals, taking a tiny markup.
Growth strategy
Cardinal Health's growth plan rests on three levers. First, specialty pharmaceuticals and physician practice platforms: it bought a 71% stake in GI Alliance for about $2.8 billion (announced November 2024) and funded The Specialty Alliance's roughly $1.9 billion acquisition of urology MSO Solaris Health (completed November 2025).
Competitive advantage
Cardinal Health's advantage is physical scale and regulatory standing. Moving regulated, temperature-sensitive drugs and biologics across the country overnight takes a network of specialized distribution centers and security procedures that cost billions of dollars and take decades to build. The barrier to entry is high, so drug distribution is concentrated among a few large companies.
Questions about Canon vs Cardinal Health
Which company has higher revenue — Canon Inc. or Cardinal Health, Inc.?
Canon Inc. reported ~$31B (FY2025), while Cardinal Health, Inc. reported $254.2B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Cardinal Health, Inc. is the larger business, with Canon Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of Canon Inc. vs Cardinal Health, Inc.?
Canon Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $25.6B, while Cardinal Health, Inc.'s is $56.0B. Cardinal Health, Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Canon Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Canon Inc. or Cardinal Health, Inc.?
Canon Inc. generates $187k / employee in revenue per employee, while Cardinal Health, Inc. generates $3.98M / employee. Cardinal Health, Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Canon Inc. and Cardinal Health, Inc. make money?
Canon Inc. and Cardinal Health, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Canon Inc.: Canon designs, builds and sells hardware, then earns recurring revenue from consumables, service contracts and software on the installed base. Cardinal Health, Inc.: The business model is large, high-volume logistics divided into two segments: Pharmaceutical and Medical.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Canon Inc. or Cardinal Health, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Canon Inc. trades at 0.8x P/S and Cardinal Health, Inc. at 0.2x P/S. Canon Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Cardinal Health, Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Canon Inc. bigger than Cardinal Health, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Cardinal Health, Inc. ($254.2B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to Canon Inc. (~$31B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Canon vs Cardinal Health overview