CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Thursday.

CVS has been the topic of several other reports. TD Cowen lifted their price target on CVS Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on CVS Health from $94.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Argus upped their price target on shares of CVS Health from $90.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $101.00 to $111.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $105.67.

CVS Health Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE:CVS opened at $107.64 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $137.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.42, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.87. CVS Health has a 1 year low of $58.99 and a 1 year high of $110.68. The business has a fifty day moving average of $100.21 and a 200-day moving average of $86.12.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.36. The company had revenue of $100.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.99 billion. CVS Health had a net margin of 0.72% and a return on equity of 11.88%. CVS Health’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.25 EPS. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.300-7.500 EPS. Equities analysts predict that CVS Health will post 7.46 earnings per share for the current year.

CVS Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a $0.665 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. CVS Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 117.18%.

Insider Transactions at CVS Health

In related news, Director Larry Robbins sold 1,983,538 shares of CVS Health stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.45, for a total value of $187,345,164.10. Following the transaction, the director owned 6,213,261 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $586,842,501.45. This trade represents a 24.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Tilak Mandadi sold 69,551 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.58, for a total transaction of $6,230,378.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $907,714.14. The trade was a 87.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 3,441,551 shares of company stock worth $323,703,977 in the last three months. 0.85% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of CVS Health

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of CVS Health in the fourth quarter worth $1,666,265,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in CVS Health by 193.2% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,564,392 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $1,473,270,000 after acquiring an additional 12,233,675 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its position in CVS Health by 1,020.7% during the 1st quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,845,221 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $347,984,000 after acquiring an additional 4,412,882 shares during the period. Amundi grew its stake in CVS Health by 95.3% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 7,453,980 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $572,665,000 after acquiring an additional 3,637,943 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 44.0% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 6,219,756 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $446,703,000 after purchasing an additional 1,899,932 shares during the period. 80.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CVS Health News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: CVS is getting a sentiment boost from multiple headlines around its expanded pharmacy services, including nationwide filling of select pet prescriptions and a new service for harder-to-find medications, which could support retail pharmacy traffic and reinforce its convenience-driven growth story.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains constructive, with Zacks calling CVS a top long-term momentum stock and other reports noting a “Moderate Buy” consensus and higher price targets, suggesting Wall Street still sees upside tied to pharmacy, PBM, and Medicare Advantage execution. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity also pointed to bullish trading interest, with unusually heavy call buying in CVS, often interpreted as a sign that traders expect further upside or a continued positive trend.
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent report on CVS’s dividend noted that payouts have been unchanged for 10 quarters, framing the dividend as a question for income investors rather than a clear catalyst for the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS stock has already had a strong run over the past year, and one article highlighted the shares nearing valuation levels that depend heavily on continued operational execution and policy stability.
• Negative Sentiment: Henry Ford Health filed a lawsuit alleging CVS used fraudulent reimbursement practices tied to the 340B drug discount program, which could create legal costs, headline risk, and potential pressure on margins if the claims gain traction. Article Title

About CVS Health

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.