HROW vs ICUI vs ATRC vs MCK vs CAH

For growth investors, Harrow Health, Inc.

(HROW) is the stronger pick with 36. 4% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -6. 4% for ICU Medical, Inc. (ICUI). Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) offers the better valuation at 28. 7x trailing P/E (17. 9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Harrow Health, Inc. (HROW) a "Buy" — based on 10 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Cardinal Health, Inc.

(CAH) is the cheapest at 28. 7x versus ICU Medical, Inc. at 4186. 1x. On forward P/E, ICU Medical, Inc. is actually cheaper at 15. 2x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Harrow Health, Inc.

(HROW) delivered a total return of +378. 0%, compared to -64. 2% for AtriCure, Inc. (ATRC). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: HROW returned +914. 3% versus ICUI's +19. 0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Cardinal Health, Inc.

(CAH) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 03β versus Harrow Health, Inc. 's 2. 13β — meaning HROW is approximately 6176% more volatile than CAH relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, AtriCure, Inc. (ATRC) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 18% versus 5% for Harrow Health, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Harrow Health, Inc.

(HROW) is pulling ahead at 36. 4% versus -6. 4% for ICU Medical, Inc. (ICUI). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: ICU Medical, Inc. grew EPS 100. 6% year-over-year, compared to 14. 9% for McKesson Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, HROW leads at 45. 4% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

McKesson Corporation (MCK) is the more profitable company, earning 0.

9% net margin versus -2. 1% for AtriCure, Inc. — meaning it keeps 0. 9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: HROW leads at 11. 2% versus -0. 6% for ATRC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — HROW leads at 75. 1%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, ICU Medical, Inc.

(ICUI) trades at 15. 2x forward P/E versus 370. 7x for AtriCure, Inc. — 355. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for HROW: 93. 8% to $75. 67.

In this comparison, CAH (1.

1% yield), MCK (0. 4% yield) pay a dividend. HROW, ICUI, ATRC do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Cardinal Health, Inc.

(CAH) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 03), 1. 1% yield, +160. 8% 10Y return). Harrow Health, Inc. (HROW) carries a higher beta of 2. 13 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (CAH: +160. 8%, HROW: +914. 3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: HROW is a small-cap high-growth stock; ICUI is a small-cap quality compounder stock; ATRC is a small-cap quality compounder stock; MCK is a mid-cap high-growth stock; CAH is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. CAH pays a dividend while HROW, ICUI, ATRC, MCK do not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.