CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) Raised to Outperform at Sanford C. Bernstein

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) was upgraded by investment analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $94.00 price target on the pharmacy operator’s stock, up from their prior price target of $91.00. Sanford C. Bernstein’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 23.46% from the stock’s current price.

CVS has been the topic of several other research reports. TD Cowen increased their target price on CVS Health from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Truist Financial set a $100.00 price target on shares of CVS Health in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $89.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of CVS Health from $87.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.05.

CVS Health Price Performance

CVS Health stock opened at $76.14 on Thursday. CVS Health has a 1 year low of $58.35 and a 1 year high of $85.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.84. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $78.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $77.74. The company has a market capitalization of $96.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.49.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The pharmacy operator reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.09. CVS Health had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 0.44%.The company had revenue of $105.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $103.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.940-6.140 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that CVS Health will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of CVS Health

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CVS. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in CVS Health by 72.1% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 339 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares in the last quarter. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of CVS Health during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of CVS Health during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in CVS Health in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. 80.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More CVS Health News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded CVS to “outperform” with a $94 price target, signaling upward analyst momentum and providing a clear catalyst for investor sentiment. Occidental Petroleum, CVS, Petco: Top Analyst Calls
• Positive Sentiment: CVS announced a new AI-powered health platform, which could boost growth prospects for care management, digital engagement and margin improvement if adoption scales. CVS to launch new AI-powered health platform
• Positive Sentiment: CVS joined an international movement to become menopause accredited, strengthening its clinical services and retail clinic positioning in women’s health — a niche revenue/traffic driver over time. CVS Health joins international movement to become menopause accredited
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are revising fair‑value estimates modestly (one update moved fair value ~US$94→US$96), reflecting balanced views: upside from Medicare Advantage exposure but uncertainty on managed‑care earnings and capital allocation. How The CVS Health (CVS) Story Is Shifting With Medicare Advantage And Valuation Debates
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive dynamics: a North Carolina health plan is triggering a bidding fight for 2028 Aetna/CVS contracts — potential upside if CVS wins, but outcome uncertain. N.C. Health Plan Sparks 2028 Bidding War Over Aetna And CVS Contracts
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction since earnings: commentary and data pieces note the stock has moved modestly since last quarter; investors are parsing guidance and EPS trajectory for cues. Why Is CVS Health (CVS) Down 1.7% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Negative Sentiment: Aetna, a CVS subsidiary, agreed to a $117.7M DOJ settlement over alleged inaccurate diagnosis coding in Medicare Advantage — a material legal headline that keeps compliance and MA reimbursement risk on investors’ radar. Aetna’s US$117.7m Settlement Puts CVS Health Compliance In Focus
• Negative Sentiment: Policy risk: CVS warned it may close 100+ Tennessee pharmacies if proposed PBM legislation passes, highlighting state‑level regulatory risk that could reduce retail footprint and revenues in affected markets. CVS threatens to close 100+ Tennessee pharmacies over PBM legislation

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.