Principal Financial Group Inc. Grows Stake in Cencora, Inc. $COR

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Cencora, Inc. (NYSE:COR) by 1.9% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 252,956 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,794 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Cencora were worth $85,436,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Cencora by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,617,117 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,976,681,000 after buying an additional 221,570 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Cencora by 9.3% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,190,316 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,872,249,000 after buying an additional 782,911 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Cencora by 21.3% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,677,797 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,461,965,000 after buying an additional 821,098 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its stake in Cencora by 2.0% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 4,509,165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,409,152,000 after buying an additional 89,506 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Cencora by 3.0% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,971,121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,241,094,000 after buying an additional 115,278 shares during the last quarter. 97.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Cencora Price Performance

Shares of COR stock opened at $253.20 on Thursday. Cencora, Inc. has a 52-week low of $244.82 and a 52-week high of $377.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.64. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $330.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $342.75.

Cencora (NYSE:COR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $4.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.82 by ($0.07). Cencora had a return on equity of 176.54% and a net margin of 0.50%.The business had revenue of $78.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $81.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.42 earnings per share. Cencora’s revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Cencora has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.650-17.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Cencora, Inc. will post 17.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Cencora Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Cencora’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on COR shares. Robert W. Baird set a $415.00 price target on Cencora in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Leerink Partners reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Cencora in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Cencora from $405.00 to $429.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Cencora from $417.00 to $419.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $380.00 price objective on Cencora in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cencora has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $398.17.

Cencora News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Cencora this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised full‑year adjusted EPS guidance and authorized buyback — management bumped FY2026 adjusted EPS to $17.65–$17.90 and approved a $1 billion repurchase program, which supports shareholder returns and offsets some concerns about near‑term sales. Cencora raises annual profit forecast despite quarterly miss
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion and specialty wins — adjusted gross margins expanded ~45 bps, driven in part by the OneOncology integration and strong international operating income, signaling progress toward higher‑margin services. Cencora lifts 2026 outlook after OneOncology-fueled earnings jump
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend declared — board approved a $0.60 per‑share quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend May 15), modest yield but adds to cash return profile for income‑oriented shareholders.
• Neutral Sentiment: Top‑line growth but below expectations — revenue rose ~3.8% YoY to ~$78.4B, demonstrating underlying growth yet missing consensus and leaving investors focused on mix and client dynamics. Cencora Reports Fiscal 2026 Second Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings and revenue miss drove the selloff — adjusted EPS $4.75 missed expectations (~$4.80) and revenue missed estimates, prompting heavy investor selling and a sharp share decline. Cencora (COR) Misses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue guidance trimmed vs. Street — management’s revenue range came in below consensus, citing slower U.S. Healthcare Solutions sales, branded‑drug price cuts and lower volumes to a large mail‑order client. That downgrade to top‑line expectations is weighing on the stock. Cencora Shares Drop on Revenue Outlook Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Operational headwinds and market worries — reports note negative operating cash flow, customer losses, and margin pressure from GLP‑1 related mix; visible insider selling has also added to investor caution. Cencora Stock (COR) Opinions on Q2 Earnings Release
• Negative Sentiment: Technicals and sentiment: stock hit a fresh 52‑week low amid the reaction, increasing short‑term downside risk until clarity on U.S. segment recovery and cash‑flow stabilization. Cencora hits 52-week low after guidance cut

Cencora Profile

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.