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Investing.com -- Moody’s Ratings has upgraded Cencora, Inc.’s senior unsecured ratings to Baa1 from Baa2 while affirming its Prime-2 short-term commercial paper rating. The outlook has been changed to stable from positive.
The upgrade reflects Cencora’s strong business performance, supported by robust prescription utilization trends across both branded and generic drugs. Moody’s expects ongoing growth in Cencora’s profitability, driven by strong performance in specialty products and expanding service offerings.
Despite Cencora’s recent acquisition of Retina Consultants of America (RCA), which increased debt by approximately $3.3 billion, Moody’s believes the company will prioritize reducing leverage to below 2.5x through EBITDA growth and debt repayment over the next 12 months.
The Baa1 rating acknowledges Cencora’s position as one of the largest drug distributors in the United States and its vital role in the US drug supply chain. As of June 30, 2025, Cencora’s adjusted pro forma debt-to-EBITDA financial leverage was approximately 2.5x, including opioid settlement liability.
The company benefits from increasing international diversification, with its International Healthcare Solutions segment accounting for 15% to 20% of operating income annually. However, the ratings are constrained by high customer concentration, with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. and Evernorth Health Services accounting for roughly 39% of revenue.
Moody’s stable outlook reflects expectations for mid-to-high single-digit core growth, strong cash flows, and financial leverage in the 2.0x-2.5x range.
The ratings could be upgraded if Cencora maintains solid operating performance with strengthened profitability margins and demonstrates commitment to conservative financial policies, particularly if adjusted debt/EBITDA remains below 2.25x on a sustained basis.
Conversely, a material growth slowdown, greater-than-expected impact from opioid matters, or more aggressive financial policies with debt/EBITDA sustained above 2.75x could lead to a downgrade.
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