Healthcare Stocks Shine with McKesson Up 16.6%
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 13h ago
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Healthcare Sector Performance: In Thursday's trading, healthcare stocks emerged as the best-performing sector, rising by 0.2%, with McKesson Corp (MCK) leading the charge with a 16.6% gain, indicating strong market demand that could attract more investor interest in the sector.
- Cardinal Health's Gains: Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) also performed well, with a 9.0% increase, suggesting a solid position in the healthcare supply chain that may further enhance its market share and investor confidence.
- ETF Trends: Despite the overall positive performance in healthcare, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) fell by 0.5%, indicating a preference for individual stocks over ETFs, which may lead to a shift in capital towards more promising equities.
- Utilities Sector Stability: The utilities sector showed relative stability, with CMS Energy Corp (CMS) up 2.4% and PPL Corp (PPL) up 1.4%, reflecting investor preference for stable returns, which may attract more capital into this sector in the future.
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Analyst Views on MCK
Wall Street analysts forecast MCK stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MCK is 942.83 USD with a low forecast of 880.00 USD and a high forecast of 1000.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
14 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 957.800
Low
880.00
Averages
942.83
High
1000.00
Current: 957.800
Low
880.00
Averages
942.83
High
1000.00
About MCK
McKesson Corporation is a diversified healthcare services company, which focuses on advancing health outcomes for patients everywhere. Its U.S. Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded, generic, specialty, biosimilar and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, and other healthcare-related products in the United States (U.S.). The Prescription Technology Solutions (RxTS) segment helps solve medication access, affordability and adherence challenges for patients by working across healthcare to connect patients, pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers, health plans, and biopharma companies. The Medical-Surgical Solutions provides medical-surgical supply distribution, logistics, and other services to healthcare providers, including physician offices, hospital reference labs, and home healthcare agencies. The International segment provides distribution and services to wholesale, institutional, and retail customers in Canada and Norway. It also offers oncology and specialty solutions.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
McKesson Corporation Q3 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
- Significant Revenue Growth: McKesson reported Q3 revenues of $106.2 billion, an 11% year-over-year increase, with double-digit adjusted operating profit growth in oncology and multispecialty services, indicating strong performance and sustained market demand in these sectors.
- Raised EPS Guidance: The company raised its fiscal 2026 earnings per share guidance to a range of $38.80 to $39.20, reflecting a 17% to 19% year-over-year growth, demonstrating management's confidence in future performance and market opportunities.
- Technology-Driven Efficiency Gains: By applying technology and automation, McKesson's full-time employees supported 120 more patients during the annual verification season compared to last year, showcasing the company's ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.
- Successful Acquisition Integration: Management highlighted significant progress in integrating Florida Cancer Specialists and PRISM Vision, which have made meaningful contributions to the strong performance in oncology, further solidifying the company's market position.
See More
Healthcare Stocks Shine with McKesson Up 16.6%
- Healthcare Sector Performance: In Thursday's trading, healthcare stocks emerged as the best-performing sector, rising by 0.2%, with McKesson Corp (MCK) leading the charge with a 16.6% gain, indicating strong market demand that could attract more investor interest in the sector.
- Cardinal Health's Gains: Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) also performed well, with a 9.0% increase, suggesting a solid position in the healthcare supply chain that may further enhance its market share and investor confidence.
- ETF Trends: Despite the overall positive performance in healthcare, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) fell by 0.5%, indicating a preference for individual stocks over ETFs, which may lead to a shift in capital towards more promising equities.
- Utilities Sector Stability: The utilities sector showed relative stability, with CMS Energy Corp (CMS) up 2.4% and PPL Corp (PPL) up 1.4%, reflecting investor preference for stable returns, which may attract more capital into this sector in the future.
See More
US Stocks Plunge as Tech Sector Leads Decline
- Tech Sector Decline: Qualcomm's (QCOM) forecast of weaker-than-expected Q2 revenue led to an over 8% drop in its stock, triggering a sell-off across the tech sector, with the Nasdaq 100 index hitting a 2.5-month low, indicating waning investor confidence in technology stocks.
- Weak Labor Market Signals: Challenger's report revealed a staggering 117.8% year-over-year increase in job cuts for January, totaling 108,435, the highest for January since 2009, while initial jobless claims rose by 22,000 to 231,000, highlighting vulnerabilities in the US labor market that could hinder economic recovery.
- Bitcoin Plunge: Bitcoin (^BTCUSD) plummeted over 12% to a 1.25-year low, reflecting deepening negative momentum in the cryptocurrency market, with approximately $2 billion flowing out of Bitcoin ETFs in the past month, signaling a decline in investor confidence.
- Earnings Season Impact: Despite 150 S&P 500 companies set to report earnings this week, market focus on economic data intensifies, with S&P 500 earnings expected to grow by 8.4% in Q4, yet overall market sentiment remains suppressed by recent economic weakness.
See More
Mullin's Small-Cap Stock Investments Update
- Stock Purchase Overview: On January 5, 2026, Mullin disclosed purchases of 10 stocks, each ranging from $15,000 to $50,000, indicating his ongoing interest in small and mid-cap stocks, with most having market capitalizations below $20 billion.
- Small-Cap Characteristics: Notably, two of these stocks have market caps under $5 billion, reinforcing Mullin's preference for smaller stocks, which could influence his decisions on the Armed Services Committee, particularly regarding future government contracts.
- Historical Trade Review: Prior to this, on December 29, 2025, Mullin bought six of the Magnificent Seven stocks, investing at least $50,000, highlighting his preference for tech stocks, with Microsoft Corp (MSFT) being the largest investment.
- Potential Conflict of Interest: Given Mullin's role on the Armed Services Committee, Benzinga will closely monitor his future stock trades, especially concerning potential conflicts arising from military actions in countries like Venezuela.
See More
Stocks Shift to Negative Territory for the Year
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 index declined for the third consecutive day, dropping by 1.2%.
- Year-to-Date Status: This decline has pushed the index into negative territory for the year.
See More
U.S. Markets End Thursday in Decline; Estee Lauder Experienced the Largest Drop
- Stock Market Decline: U.S. stock indexes experienced a drop on Thursday, with the overall market declining by 1.59%.
- Sector Performance: The S&P 500 index fell by 1.23%, while another index decreased by 1.20%.
See More
McKesson Corporation Q3 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
- Significant Revenue Growth: McKesson reported Q3 revenues of $106.2 billion, an 11% year-over-year increase, with double-digit adjusted operating profit growth in oncology and multispecialty services, indicating strong performance and sustained market demand in these sectors.
- Raised EPS Guidance: The company raised its fiscal 2026 earnings per share guidance to a range of $38.80 to $39.20, reflecting a 17% to 19% year-over-year growth, demonstrating management's confidence in future performance and market opportunities.
- Technology-Driven Efficiency Gains: By applying technology and automation, McKesson's full-time employees supported 120 more patients during the annual verification season compared to last year, showcasing the company's ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.
- Successful Acquisition Integration: Management highlighted significant progress in integrating Florida Cancer Specialists and PRISM Vision, which have made meaningful contributions to the strong performance in oncology, further solidifying the company's market position.
See More
Healthcare Stocks Shine with McKesson Up 16.6%
- Healthcare Sector Performance: In Thursday's trading, healthcare stocks emerged as the best-performing sector, rising by 0.2%, with McKesson Corp (MCK) leading the charge with a 16.6% gain, indicating strong market demand that could attract more investor interest in the sector.
- Cardinal Health's Gains: Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) also performed well, with a 9.0% increase, suggesting a solid position in the healthcare supply chain that may further enhance its market share and investor confidence.
- ETF Trends: Despite the overall positive performance in healthcare, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) fell by 0.5%, indicating a preference for individual stocks over ETFs, which may lead to a shift in capital towards more promising equities.
- Utilities Sector Stability: The utilities sector showed relative stability, with CMS Energy Corp (CMS) up 2.4% and PPL Corp (PPL) up 1.4%, reflecting investor preference for stable returns, which may attract more capital into this sector in the future.
See More
US Stocks Plunge as Tech Sector Leads Decline
- Tech Sector Decline: Qualcomm's (QCOM) forecast of weaker-than-expected Q2 revenue led to an over 8% drop in its stock, triggering a sell-off across the tech sector, with the Nasdaq 100 index hitting a 2.5-month low, indicating waning investor confidence in technology stocks.
- Weak Labor Market Signals: Challenger's report revealed a staggering 117.8% year-over-year increase in job cuts for January, totaling 108,435, the highest for January since 2009, while initial jobless claims rose by 22,000 to 231,000, highlighting vulnerabilities in the US labor market that could hinder economic recovery.
- Bitcoin Plunge: Bitcoin (^BTCUSD) plummeted over 12% to a 1.25-year low, reflecting deepening negative momentum in the cryptocurrency market, with approximately $2 billion flowing out of Bitcoin ETFs in the past month, signaling a decline in investor confidence.
- Earnings Season Impact: Despite 150 S&P 500 companies set to report earnings this week, market focus on economic data intensifies, with S&P 500 earnings expected to grow by 8.4% in Q4, yet overall market sentiment remains suppressed by recent economic weakness.
See More
Mullin's Small-Cap Stock Investments Update
- Stock Purchase Overview: On January 5, 2026, Mullin disclosed purchases of 10 stocks, each ranging from $15,000 to $50,000, indicating his ongoing interest in small and mid-cap stocks, with most having market capitalizations below $20 billion.
- Small-Cap Characteristics: Notably, two of these stocks have market caps under $5 billion, reinforcing Mullin's preference for smaller stocks, which could influence his decisions on the Armed Services Committee, particularly regarding future government contracts.
- Historical Trade Review: Prior to this, on December 29, 2025, Mullin bought six of the Magnificent Seven stocks, investing at least $50,000, highlighting his preference for tech stocks, with Microsoft Corp (MSFT) being the largest investment.
- Potential Conflict of Interest: Given Mullin's role on the Armed Services Committee, Benzinga will closely monitor his future stock trades, especially concerning potential conflicts arising from military actions in countries like Venezuela.
See More
Stocks Shift to Negative Territory for the Year
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 index declined for the third consecutive day, dropping by 1.2%.
- Year-to-Date Status: This decline has pushed the index into negative territory for the year.
See More
U.S. Markets End Thursday in Decline; Estee Lauder Experienced the Largest Drop
- Stock Market Decline: U.S. stock indexes experienced a drop on Thursday, with the overall market declining by 1.59%.
- Sector Performance: The S&P 500 index fell by 1.23%, while another index decreased by 1.20%.
See More
