Shares of Cardinal Health (CAH) are sliding after Morgan Stanley analyst Ricky Goldwasser downgraded the stock to Underweight, a sell-equivalent rating, as he believes Amazon (AMZN) is looking to scale its medical supply distribution efforts and Cardinal’s potential earnings risk from the e-commerce giant’s effort is larger than its peers. Patterson (PDCO) and Henry Schein (HSIC) are also lower following Morgan Stanley’s comments on Amazon’s entry into healthcare.
SELL CARDINAL HEALTH: In a research note to investors, Morgan Stanley’s Goldwasser downgraded Cardinal Health to Underweight from Equal Weight, saying the company has an “outsized exposure” to Amazon risk compared to its peers. Recent hires and public statements make it clear that Amazon is looking to scale its medical supply distribution efforts by deepening existing infrastructure and relationships with hospitals, the analyst contended, adding that it is only a matter of time until it competes head-to-head with primary source distributors such as Cardinal. Further, Goldwasser believes that Cardinal’s potential earnings risk is still underappreciated despite the recent selloff. The analyst also lowered his price target on the shares to $51 from $72.
