Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on CVS Health (NYSE:CVS)

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors acquired 33,618 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 68% compared to the typical volume of 19,957 call options.

CVS Health Stock Up 0.1%

CVS stock traded up $0.05 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $104.38. The stock had a trading volume of 4,753,471 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,475,902. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $95.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $83.66. The company has a market capitalization of $133.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.98, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.61. CVS Health has a 1-year low of $58.50 and a 1-year high of $106.15.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.36. CVS Health had a return on equity of 11.88% and a net margin of 0.72%.The company had revenue of $100.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.99 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.25 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.300-7.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that CVS Health will post 7.44 earnings per share for the current year.

CVS Health News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: CVS is drawing fresh interest from investors and screeners, with recent Zacks coverage calling it both a trending stock and a strong momentum name. CVS Health Corporation (CVS) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald lifted its price target on CVS to $110 from $100 and reiterated an overweight rating, which may reinforce bullish sentiment around the shares. CVS Health had its price target raised by Cantor Fitzgerald from $100.00 to $110.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: CVS Specialty was highlighted in a company news story about helping HIV patients start and stay on treatment, supporting the company’s healthcare services narrative. HIV Is Now a Manageable Chronic Condition – How CVS Specialty Helps Patients Start and Stay on Treatment
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS was included in a list of cheap dividend stocks, which may attract income-focused investors but does not appear to be company-specific news. 3 Absurdly Cheap Dividend Stocks to Buy With $1,000 in July
• Negative Sentiment: CVS and Omnicare agreed to a $440 million settlement in a False Claims Act case, adding a legal and financial overhang for the stock. Omnicare, CVS Health Agree to $440M Settlement in False Claims Act Case
• Negative Sentiment: CVS also faced another settlement tied to Medicaid and government claims, and the company’s hemorrhoidal wipes recall could add to consumer and operational concerns. CVS Health (CVS) Settles Medicaid Claims As Omnicare Sale Wins Court Approval Check your bathroom: CVS Health recalls 75,000 hemorrhoidal wipes

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Tilak Mandadi sold 69,551 shares of CVS Health stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.58, for a total value of $6,230,378.58. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $907,714.14. The trade was a 87.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Larry Robbins sold 1,983,538 shares of the 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 in the company, valued at $586,842,501.45. This trade represents a 24.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 3,441,551 shares of company stock valued at $323,703,977 in the last three months. 0.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CVS Health

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 41.8% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 356 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Apella Capital LLC raised its stake in CVS Health by 1.7% during the second quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 6,940 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $724,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the period. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co lifted its holdings in CVS Health by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co now owns 15,708 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $1,247,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC boosted its stake in CVS Health by 4.1% in the third quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 3,442 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares during the period. Finally, LS Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. LS Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,575 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $284,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. 80.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on CVS. Barclays increased their target price on shares of CVS Health from $101.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $90.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. HSBC reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $103.00 price objective on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of CVS Health from $94.00 to $106.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of CVS Health from $80.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, CVS Health has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $102.60.

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.