Morgan Stanley Upgrades Cencora and Raises Price Targets for Rivals
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Source: seekingalpha
- Rating Upgrade: Morgan Stanley upgraded Cencora (COR) from Equal Weight to Overweight and raised its price target from $361 to $400, reflecting the company's leadership in specialty pharmaceuticals and efforts to optimize its business portfolio.
- Market Consolidation: By acquiring a majority stake in OneOncology, Cencora is expected to solidify its market-leading position in specialty pharmaceuticals, with international expansion potentially accelerating in FY26 supported by its World Courier division.
- Industry Outlook: The analyst also raised price targets for McKesson (MCK) and Cardinal Health (CAH) to $966 and $245 respectively, indicating that despite outperforming the S&P 500 last year, the drug distribution industry is expected to continue thriving in 2026.
- Strategic Optimization: Cencora is weighing strategic alternatives for its non-core assets, which the analyst identifies as a key step in optimizing its business portfolio, suggesting that this move should be rewarded by the market.
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Analyst Views on COR
Wall Street analysts forecast COR stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for COR is 394.00 USD with a low forecast of 360.00 USD and a high forecast of 417.00 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.
10 Analyst Rating
9 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 350.540
Low
360.00
Averages
394.00
High
417.00
Current: 350.540
Low
360.00
Averages
394.00
High
417.00
About COR
Cencora, Inc. is a global pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services company. The Company helps both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers improve patient access to products and enhance patient care. The Company operates through two segments: U.S. Healthcare Solutions and International Healthcare Solutions. The U.S. Healthcare Solutions segment distributes a comprehensive offering of brand-name, specialty brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to a variety of healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. The International Healthcare Solutions segment consists of businesses that focus on international pharmaceutical wholesale and related service operations and global commercialization services.
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.
Morgan Stanley Upgrades Cencora and Raises Price Targets for Rivals
- Rating Upgrade: Morgan Stanley upgraded Cencora (COR) from Equal Weight to Overweight and raised its price target from $361 to $400, reflecting the company's leadership in specialty pharmaceuticals and efforts to optimize its business portfolio.
- Market Consolidation: By acquiring a majority stake in OneOncology, Cencora is expected to solidify its market-leading position in specialty pharmaceuticals, with international expansion potentially accelerating in FY26 supported by its World Courier division.
- Industry Outlook: The analyst also raised price targets for McKesson (MCK) and Cardinal Health (CAH) to $966 and $245 respectively, indicating that despite outperforming the S&P 500 last year, the drug distribution industry is expected to continue thriving in 2026.
- Strategic Optimization: Cencora is weighing strategic alternatives for its non-core assets, which the analyst identifies as a key step in optimizing its business portfolio, suggesting that this move should be rewarded by the market.
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