Strs Ohio Has $78.65 Million Holdings in CVS Health Corporation $CVS

Strs Ohio boosted its position in shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) by 24.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,043,250 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock after buying an additional 205,718 shares during the period. Strs Ohio owned approximately 0.08% of CVS Health worth $78,651,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Avion Wealth grew its stake in shares of CVS Health by 99.0% in the second quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 380 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in CVS Health by 72.1% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 339 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new position in CVS Health during the third quarter worth $29,000. Harbor Asset Planning Inc. bought a new position in shares of CVS Health in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Front Row Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of CVS Health by 436.5% in the 2nd quarter. Front Row Advisors LLC now owns 456 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.66% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting CVS Health

Here are the key news stories impacting CVS Health this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CVS announced cuts to prior authorizations and expanded rebate-sharing, moves the company says will speed patient access and reduce friction for prescribers — a potential revenue/retention tailwind and positive for insurer and PBM relations. CVS Health cuts prior authorizations, expands rebate sharing
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate PR highlights initiatives to simplify and make health insurance more affordable — supportive for consumer perception and commercial positioning if execution follows. CVS Health makes health insurance simpler and more affordable for Americans
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call-option buying suggests some investors are positioning for upside in CVS shares; elevated call flows can amplify intraday upside as traders hedge/roll positions. Investors Buy Large Volume of CVS Health Call Options (NYSE:CVS)
• Neutral Sentiment: Bloomberg Law reports CVS (with UnitedHealth) successfully fended off an antitrust suit in a separate matter — a legal win that partially offsets other regulatory headlines but doesn’t remove ongoing scrutiny. UnitedHealth, CVS Fend Off Antitrust Lawsuit Over Drug Costs
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS announced a partnership with the University of Maryland focused on AI and pharmacy workforce growth — a longer-term productivity/efficiency initiative that is strategically positive but unlikely to move near-term earnings materially. CVS Health, U of Maryland partner on AI, pharmacy workforce growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary notes CVS has recently outperformed the market, reflecting investor optimism but not changing underlying regulatory risk. CVS Health (CVS) Exceeds Market Returns: Some Facts to Consider
• Negative Sentiment: The House Judiciary Committee released a report accusing CVS/Caremark of practices that thwart competition and target independent pharmacies — a major regulatory and reputational risk that could lead to investigations, enforcement actions, or legislation affecting PBM economics. House Judiciary Committee Report Accuses CVS Health of Thwarting Competition and Targeting Independent Pharmacies
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets report the House committee accuses CVS of impeding pharmacy competition and possibly violating antitrust laws; sustained political/legal pressure could increase compliance costs and constrain PBM pricing leverage. House committee accuses CVS of impeding pharmacy competition
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage from Seeking Alpha and other outlets highlights intensified antitrust scrutiny of PBM practices; this continues to be the principal downside risk for CVS shares and could affect long-term margin assumptions. CVS faces antitrust scrutiny over PBM practices

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on CVS Health from $82.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on CVS Health from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Truist Financial set a $100.00 target price on CVS Health in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on CVS Health from $93.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, UBS Group reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $94.86.

CVS Health Price Performance

CVS opened at $82.65 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $104.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 217.51, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $78.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $74.62. CVS Health Corporation has a twelve month low of $52.69 and a twelve month high of $85.15.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The pharmacy operator reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.36 by $0.24. CVS Health had a net margin of 0.12% and a return on equity of 11.45%. The business had revenue of $102.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $98.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. CVS Health’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. CVS Health has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.550-6.650 EPS. Equities analysts expect that CVS Health Corporation will post 5.89 EPS for the current year.

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.665 per share. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 22nd. CVS Health’s payout ratio is 700.00%.

CVS Health Company Profile

CVS Health Corporation is a diversified healthcare company that operates a large network of retail pharmacies, pharmacy benefit management services and health care solutions. Headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the company traces its roots to the early 1960s and has grown into an integrated provider of prescription drugs, over‑the‑counter products, clinical services and health insurance offerings. Its operating model combines retail pharmacy locations and in‑store clinics with broader pharmacy and health plan capabilities.

Key business activities include CVS Pharmacy retail operations, MinuteClinic walk‑in medical clinics and HealthHUB locations that offer expanded clinical services.