CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-four research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $94.8182.

Several analysts have recently issued reports on CVS shares. Truist Financial set a $100.00 price target on CVS Health in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Wolfe Research upped their target price on CVS Health from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $101.00 price target (up previously from $99.00) on shares of CVS Health in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of CVS Health from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Finally, Mizuho raised their target price on shares of CVS Health from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th.

Institutional Trading of CVS Health

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. 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 acquiring an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in CVS Health by 72.1% in 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. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in CVS Health by 407.2% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 350 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new position in shares of CVS Health during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Harbor Asset Planning Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CVS Health during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.66% of the company’s stock.

CVS Health Stock Up 3.0%

CVS Health stock opened at $74.14 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. CVS Health has a 1-year low of $53.36 and a 1-year high of $85.15. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $79.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $75.02. The company has a market capitalization of $94.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 195.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.48.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The pharmacy operator reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.36 by $0.24. CVS Health had a net margin of 0.12% and a return on equity of 11.45%. The firm had revenue of $102.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $98.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.09 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that CVS Health will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CVS Health Announces Dividend

The firm 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 $0.665 dividend. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 22nd. CVS Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 700.00%.

Key Stories Impacting CVS Health

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

• Positive Sentiment: CVS shares rose while the broader market fell, reflecting short-term buying interest and risk-on flows. Zacks Article
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell ~13.4% in January to ~18.76M shares (1.5% of float), lowering potential downward pressure from short sellers and reducing squeeze risk (days-to-cover ~2.5). Short Interest Data
• Positive Sentiment: An executive vice president disclosed a small open-market buy (24 shares at ~$53.70 on Jan. 23), a modest insider signal of confidence. SEC Form 4
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts at Argus cut their price target slightly from $91 to $90 but kept a “buy” rating (still showing material upside), signaling continued analyst support despite the trim. The Fly
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America lowered its target from $100 to $95 but maintained a “buy” stance, also implying continued conviction in longer-term upside despite near-term adjustments. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: The administration’s proposal to keep Medicare rates roughly flat has pressured Medicare-related revenue expectations for payers and pharmacy benefit managers, contributing to earlier selloffs and ongoing margin concerns for CVS. Barron’s
• Negative Sentiment: A House Judiciary report and related coverage allege CVS used tactics to limit competition from rival pharmacy hubs, introducing regulatory and legal risk that could increase compliance costs or fines. HealthcareDive

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.