McKesson Corporation (MCK)
McKesson is a massive American healthcare giant that acts as the essential middleman, moving medicines and supplies from manufacturers to pharmacies and hospitals.
Is McKesson Corporation a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: McKesson is a massive American healthcare giant that acts as the essential middleman, moving medicines and supplies from manufacturers to pharmacies and hospitals.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Dominance in the growing specialty pharmacy market.
Major shifts in how healthcare is funded or distributed.
What does McKesson Corporation do?
Think of McKesson as the logistics backbone of the US healthcare system, ensuring that everything from everyday pills to complex cancer treatments reaches the right place at the right time. A small slice of the massive volume of medical products it distributes across the country is where the money comes from. It comes down to how they manage their razor-thin profit margins while continuing to grow their reach in the specialised medicine market.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on quality.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 0.4% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 6% over the year
- !Thin profits - turns only about 1% of sales into profit
- Essential role in the healthcare supply chain
- Very low price volatility compared to the market
- Strong recent growth in earnings
- Quality screens low (10/100)
- Heavy reliance on US healthcare policy changes
- Potential for legal or regulatory scrutiny in the drug industry
- High competition in the distribution sector
What do McKesson Corporation's numbers mean?
How much money does McKesson Corporation make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does McKesson Corporation pay a dividend?
Yes - McKesson Corporation currently pays a dividend of about 0.4% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does McKesson Corporation report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
McKesson Corporation is next scheduled to report on about 2026-08-05 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-07 | $11.57 | $11.69 | Beat +1% |
| 2026-02-04 | $9.27 | $9.34 | In line |
| 2025-11-05 | $9.05 | $9.86 | Beat +9% |
| 2025-08-06 | $8.15 | $8.26 | Beat +1% |
| 2025-05-08 | $9.83 | $10.12 | Beat +3% |
| 2025-02-05 | $7.99 | $8.03 | In line |
Across the last 6 quarters here, McKesson Corporation came in ahead of what analysts expected 4 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.What are the scenarios for McKesson Corporation?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of McKesson Corporation?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Essential role in the healthcare supply chain
- Very low price volatility compared to the market
- Strong recent growth in earnings
- Extremely thin profit margins
- Very low dividend yield for income seekers
- Negative price-to-book ratio indicates complex balance sheet accounting
- Heavy reliance on US healthcare policy changes
- Potential for legal or regulatory scrutiny in the drug industry
- High competition in the distribution sector
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A significant drop in annual revenue growth
- Major changes to US drug pricing legislation
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.