CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) Cut to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded CVS Health from “strong buy” to “buy,” though the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with 22 buy ratings and one hold rating.
• CVS reported quarterly EPS of $2.58, beating the $1.87 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $106.10 billion, up 7.3% year over year and above expectations.
• CVS shares opened at $94.62, below the analyst consensus price target of $107.24. Institutional investors remain heavily invested, collectively owning 80.66% of the company.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

CVS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Robert W. Baird set a $107.00 price target on shares of CVS Health in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded CVS Health from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on CVS Health from $103.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on CVS Health from $106.00 to $111.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Argus raised their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $104.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $107.24.

CVS Health Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE:CVS opened at $94.62 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $121.02 billion, a PE ratio of 25.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.59. CVS Health has a fifty-two week low of $69.51 and a fifty-two week high of $110.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The stock's 50-day moving average is $99.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $90.77.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $106.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $100.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.81 earnings per share. The firm'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. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that CVS Health will post 8.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its stake in CVS Health by 407.2% during 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 during the period. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new position in CVS Health during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in CVS Health in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in shares of CVS Health during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 344.8% during the 1st quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 387 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.66% of the company's stock.

About CVS Health

CVS Health Corporation is an American health care company headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Founded in 1963 as Consumer Value Stores, the company has expanded from a chain of retail pharmacies into an integrated health care organization serving consumers, employers, health plans, government programs and health care providers.

CVS Health operates through several major businesses. Its Health Care Benefits segment, anchored by Aetna, provides health insurance products and related services for employers, individuals, Medicare and Medicaid members.

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