CVS Health Corporation $CVS Stock Acquired by Howard Capital Management LLC

Howard Capital Management LLC boosted its position in CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) by 99.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,915 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,451 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management LLC’s holdings in CVS Health were worth $1,621,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of CVS Health in the second quarter worth about $12,747,462,000. State Street Corp increased its holdings in CVS Health by 26.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 74,927,064 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $7,751,205,000 after purchasing an additional 15,604,883 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in CVS Health by 148.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 23,188,670 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $2,398,868,000 after purchasing an additional 13,836,701 shares during the period. Pzena Investment Management LLC bought a new position in CVS Health during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,217,558,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in CVS Health by 49.8% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,801,113 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $3,496,725,000 after purchasing an additional 11,233,381 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on CVS shares. Truist Financial increased their price objective on CVS Health from $108.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on CVS Health from $103.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Robert W. Baird set a $107.00 target price on CVS Health in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Piper Sandler set a $112.00 target price on CVS Health in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered CVS Health from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $107.80.

Key CVS Health News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Value and dividend appeal: Zacks identifies CVS as a potentially attractive long-term value stock, while a separate dividend roundup highlights CVS among income-oriented companies. These reports may support investor interest, although they do not represent new company guidance. Why CVS Health Is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term Dividend roundup
• Positive Sentiment: Care-management and consumer initiatives: CVS Caremark is promoting more connected, personalized pharmacy-benefit experiences. CVS also announced a women’s midlife-health research collaboration and highlighted Signify Health’s at-home heart-rhythm monitoring for eligible members. These efforts could strengthen engagement and differentiate CVS’s health-services platform, but the articles provide no immediate financial targets. CVS Caremark Is Transforming the Health Care Experience CVS Health midlife-health collaboration
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS Caremark appeared in a consumer-focused segment explaining pharmacy benefits as customers evaluate insurance plans. The exposure may improve public understanding of the business but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. CVS Caremark explains pharmacy benefits
• Negative Sentiment: Medicare Advantage exposure: Reports that Medicare Advantage plans, including a CVS plan, will leave New Hampshire raise concerns about membership losses and pressure on the company’s government-business outlook. The specific financial impact was not disclosed. Medical Advantage plans leaving New Hampshire
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang: CVS faces a reported $315 million settlement related to allegations involving dangerous opioid prescriptions. Even if the payment is manageable relative to CVS’s size, the matter adds costs and reputational risk. CVS opioid settlement

CVS Health Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of CVS opened at $92.41 on Friday. CVS Health Corporation has a 1-year low of $69.51 and a 1-year high of $110.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $91.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $93.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $118.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.45, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.60.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.71. CVS Health had a net margin of 1.18% and a return on equity of 13.12%. The company had revenue of $106.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $100.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.81 earnings per share. CVS Health’s revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-8.100 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that CVS Health Corporation will post 8.02 EPS for the current year.

CVS Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.6650 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 22nd. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. CVS Health’s dividend payout ratio is 70.37%.

CVS Health Profile

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS) is a diversified health care company that provides pharmacy, insurance and health services in the United States. Its businesses serve consumers, employers, health plans and health care providers through pharmacies, benefit programs, insurance coverage and clinical care services.

The company’s Pharmacy Services segment, led by CVS Caremark, manages prescription drug benefits for employers, insurers and government programs. CVS Pharmacy operates retail pharmacies and health-focused stores that dispense prescriptions and offer over-the-counter products, health and wellness merchandise, immunizations and related services.