Merit Financial Group LLC Raises Holdings in CVS Health Corporation $CVS

Merit Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) by 27.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 53,512 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,502 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in CVS Health were worth $4,247,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CVS. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in CVS Health by 391.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 6,330,717 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $477,273,000 after acquiring an additional 5,042,816 shares in the last quarter. Amundi grew its position in CVS Health by 95.3% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 7,453,980 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $572,665,000 after acquiring an additional 3,637,943 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in CVS Health by 24.5% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 11,469,250 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $864,667,000 after acquiring an additional 2,253,531 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in CVS Health by 70.5% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,294,134 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $399,125,000 after acquiring an additional 2,188,307 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hamlin Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in CVS Health in the fourth quarter worth about $160,844,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.66% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting CVS Health

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

• Positive Sentiment: Baird raised its price target on CVS to $94 from $92 and reiterated an Outperform rating, saying it updated its model and became more constructive on the stock. This analyst upgrade supports upside sentiment. Baird Turns More Bullish on CVS, Nudges Price Target Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from TV/influential investors (Jim Cramer) highlighting CVS’s advantages (scale across insurance, pharmacy and retail) has supported bullish flows into the stock. Jim Cramer Shares Big Advantage For CVS Health Corporation (CVS)
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend roundups continue to list CVS among notable dividend-paying healthcare names, keeping income-oriented investors attentive but not necessarily moving price materially. Dividend roundup: Johnson & Johnson, Costco, Caterpillar, CVS Health, and more
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 earnings roundups show CVS’s insurance and pharmacy segments performed competitively versus peers and management has guided FY2026 EPS (5.94–6.14), which underpins longer‑term expectations even if near‑term volatility persists. Q4 Earnings Roundup: CVS Health And The Rest Of The Health Insurance Providers Segment
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles comparing prescription savings (GoodRx vs. CVS vs. Costco) reinforce competitive dynamics in retail pharmacy pricing — relevant for margins and customer mix but not an immediate catalyst. GoodRx vs. CVS vs. Costco: Where Retirees Save the Most on Prescriptions
• Negative Sentiment: Labor risk: over 500 drivers and warehouse workers at CVS’s Fredericksburg, VA distribution center authorized a strike and the union said workers plan to walk out May 1, raising short‑term supply/distribution disruption risk and potential incremental labor costs. CVS distribution center workers plan to go on strike
• Negative Sentiment: TheStreet reports that a CVS division has entered a Chapter 11 liquidation sale, signaling a sizable (billion‑dollar) issue in a non‑core unit that could weigh on cash flow, legal/administrative costs and investor sentiment until resolved. CVS division enters Chapter 11 liquidation sale

CVS Health Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE CVS opened at $77.30 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The company has a market cap of $99.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.01, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.51. CVS Health Corporation has a 1 year low of $58.35 and a 1 year high of $85.15. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $75.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $77.85.

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

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.665 per share. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 23rd. CVS Health’s payout ratio is currently 192.75%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on CVS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on CVS Health from $95.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Wolfe Research dropped their price target on CVS Health from $100.00 to $97.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Leerink Partners reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $98.00 price target on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $101.00 to $99.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CVS Health has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.05.

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.