Cardinal Health vs ICICI Bank: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Cardinal Health reported $254.2B of revenue in FY2026 and $1.7B of net income. ICICI Bank reported ~$23B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$6.3B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Cardinal Health
- Latest revenue
- $254.2B (FY2026)
- Net income
- $1.7B
- Net margin
- 0.7%
- Revenue growth
- +7.7% a year, FY2017–FY2026
ICICI Bank
- Latest revenue
- ~$23B (FY2026)
- Net income
- ~$6.3B
- Net margin
- 27.4%
- Revenue growth
- +19.0% a year, FY2022–FY2026
Financial summary
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%.
ICICI Bank
ICICI Bank's finances moved from crisis to steady compounding over a decade. Bad corporate loans to infrastructure, power, and steel projects drove a non-performing asset surge between 2015 and 2018. After Sandeep Bakhshi became CEO in October 2018, the bank cut concentrated corporate exposure and rebuilt around granular retail and business lending. Standalone net profit reached Rs 47,227 crore in FY2025 and Rs 50,146.6 crore in FY2026, a 6.2% rise as margins held at 4.32%. Profit growth picked up again in Q1 FY2027 to 15.9% (Rs 14,805 crore), helped by 12.7% net interest income growth, 23.5% fee growth, and lower provisions. Consolidated Q1 FY2027 profit was about Rs 15,440 crore.
Revenue and profit by year
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 |
ICICI Bank
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | ~$23B | ~$6.3B | 27.4% | +8.7% | Source |
| FY2025 | ~$21.1B | ~$5.9B | 28.0% | +27.6% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$16.6B | ~$5.1B | 31.0% | +22.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$13.6B | ~$3.9B | 29.1% | +18.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$11.5B | ~$2.9B | 25.4% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
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.
ICICI Bank
- Net interest income and lending spread
Core driver
Interest earned on loans and investments less deposit and borrowing costs.
- Retail banking fees
Major fee stream
Credit cards, payments, wealth products, account services, and retail banking charges.
- Wholesale and business banking
Institutional stream
Corporate loans, trade finance, cash management, treasury services, and business banking.
- Treasury and investments
Market-linked stream
Investment portfolio, derivatives, foreign exchange, and balance-sheet treasury activity.
- Subsidiaries and associates
Diversified contribution
Insurance, asset management, securities, and other financial-services interests.
Business model and strategy
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.
ICICI Bank
How it makes money
ICICI Bank makes money mainly from net interest income: the gap between what it earns on loans and investments and what it pays on deposits and borrowings. Net interest income was Rs 22,979 crore in Q4 FY2026 alone and Rs 24,384 crore in Q1 FY2027, with a 4.32% FY2026 net interest margin. Fee income from cards, payments, wealth products, trade, and transaction banking is the second engine;
Growth strategy
Management frames its strategy as 'risk-calibrated core operating profit' growth. In FY2026 that meant leaning into segments growing faster than retail: total advances rose 15.8%, business banking 24.4%, and rural lending 25.6%, while retail loans grew 9.5% as the bank slowed unsecured credit. Digital platforms such as iMobile and InstaBIZ are used to cut servicing costs and widen cross-sell.
Competitive advantage
ICICI Bank's edge is a combination of low-cost deposits, strong underwriting data, and distribution. Net NPAs were 0.33% at March 2026 and 0.35% at June 2026, with about Rs 131 billion of contingency provisions held on top of specific provisions. That buffer lets the bank grow loans without the provisioning shocks that hit it in 2015-2018.
Questions about Cardinal Health vs ICICI Bank
Which company has higher revenue — Cardinal Health, Inc. or ICICI Bank Limited?
Cardinal Health, Inc. reported $254.2B (FY2026), while ICICI Bank Limited reported ~$23B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Cardinal Health, Inc. is the larger business, with ICICI Bank Limited reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Cardinal Health, Inc. vs ICICI Bank Limited?
Cardinal Health, Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $56.0B, while ICICI Bank Limited's is $100.0B. ICICI Bank Limited carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Cardinal Health, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Cardinal Health, Inc. or ICICI Bank Limited?
Cardinal Health, Inc. generates $3.98M / employee in revenue per employee, while ICICI Bank Limited generates $185k / 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 Cardinal Health, Inc. and ICICI Bank Limited make money?
Cardinal Health, Inc. and ICICI Bank Limited generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Cardinal Health, Inc.: The business model is large, high-volume logistics divided into two segments: Pharmaceutical and Medical. ICICI Bank Limited: ICICI Bank makes money mainly from net interest income: the gap between what it earns on loans and investments and what it pays on deposits and borrowings.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Cardinal Health, Inc. or ICICI Bank Limited?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Cardinal Health, Inc. trades at 0.2x P/S and ICICI Bank Limited at 4.4x P/S. ICICI Bank Limited 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 Cardinal Health, Inc. bigger than ICICI Bank Limited?
By last reported revenue, Cardinal Health, Inc. ($254.2B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to ICICI Bank Limited (~$23B (FY2026)). 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 Cardinal Health vs ICICI Bank overview