CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-three analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $95.0455.

CVS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of CVS Health in a report on Monday, December 29th. Argus cut their price objective on CVS Health from $91.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Mizuho lifted their target price on CVS Health from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on CVS Health from $89.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th.

CVS Health Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE CVS opened at $71.86 on Friday. CVS Health has a 12 month low of $58.35 and a 12 month high of $85.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $91.41 billion, a PE ratio of 52.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.49. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $77.66 and its 200 day moving average is $77.79.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 0.44% and a return on equity of 11.31%. The business had revenue of $105.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $103.67 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. 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 predict that CVS Health will post 5.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 23rd will be issued a $0.665 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 23rd. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. CVS Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 192.75%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CVS Health

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CVS. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 120,709,530 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $9,579,508,000 after buying an additional 1,824,424 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 68,382,158 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $5,155,380,000 after acquiring an additional 1,419,575 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in CVS Health by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,183,743 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $4,776,182,000 after acquiring an additional 1,245,457 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its position in CVS Health by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 27,592,356 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $2,189,793,000 after acquiring an additional 900,153 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in CVS Health by 3.2% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 24,293,058 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $1,831,454,000 after acquiring an additional 760,579 shares during the last quarter. 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: Board-approved quarterly dividend of $0.665/share (payable May 4, 2026), supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. CVS Health declares quarterly dividend
• Positive Sentiment: CVS Health Foundation commits $2.24M to a Health Zone in Charlotte’s Historic West End — positive for brand, community relations and ESG positioning. CVS Health Foundation Invests $2.24 Million
• Neutral Sentiment: Company executive discussed CVS/Aetna AI policy and quality trade-offs — indicates management focus on AI governance but no immediate financial impact disclosed. CVS Health/Aetna executive discusses company AI policy
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS is getting increased retail investor attention; Zacks/Yahoo pieces note the stock is trending and review fundamentals — may boost trading volume but not a directional fundamental driver. CVS trending stock: Zacks
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS executive Dana Prommel Strauss joins Bioliberty board — adds industry expertise and partnership potential, limited short-term stock impact. Bioliberty Raises $10.2 million
• Neutral Sentiment: Company confirms it will remain at the Somerset distribution site despite a potential sale — operational stability for the supply chain. CVS to remain at Somerset distribution
• Negative Sentiment: New Tennessee legislation targeting PBMs (the “Fair Rx” proposals) could force changes to PBM practices and, per reports, threaten closure of 100+ CVS stores in the state — raises regulatory and revenue risk in a meaningful local market. TN bill could threaten closure of 100+ CVS stores
• Negative Sentiment: Tennessee House finance committee has moved the Fair Rx Act forward amid public dispute with CVS — legislative momentum increases near-term political/regulatory risk for the PBM model. TN House finance committee moves Fair Rx Act
• Negative Sentiment: Class-action racketeering lawsuit filed by Bernstein Litowitz against CaremarkPCS and CVS alleges PBM fraud—adds legal exposure and potential reputational/financial risk. BLB&G files racketeering class action

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.