CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate CVS a "Moderate Buy" — 23 analysts cover the stock (20 buy, 3 hold) with an average 12‑month target of about $94.95.
• Recent quarter beat expectations: CVS reported $1.09 EPS vs. $1.00 expected and revenue of $105.69B vs. $103.67B, and set FY2026 guidance of $5.94–$6.14 EPS (consensus ~5.89).
• Dividend and payout profile: CVS announced a quarterly dividend of $0.665 ($2.66 annualized, ~3.4% yield) but has a high payout ratio of ~192.8%, while the stock trades around $78 (market cap ~$100B, 12‑month range $58.35–$85.15).

Shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-three analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research 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 issued a report on the stock in the last year is $94.9545.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on CVS Health from $93.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Wolfe Research decreased their target price 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. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on CVS Health from $101.00 to $99.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on CVS Health from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CVS Health

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CVS. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 17.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 905,715 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $62,474,000 after purchasing an additional 134,535 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,121,377 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $77,353,000 after purchasing an additional 13,329 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 585,073 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $40,358,000 after purchasing an additional 7,588 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 25.0% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 15,063 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $1,039,000 after purchasing an additional 3,011 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,609,404 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $111,017,000 after purchasing an additional 119,439 shares in the last quarter. 80.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CVS Health Price Performance

Shares of CVS stock opened at $78.12 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $75.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $77.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $100.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.61, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.51. CVS Health has a 12 month low of $58.35 and a 12 month high of $85.15.

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

CVS Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 23rd will be given 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 is Thursday, April 23rd. CVS Health's payout ratio is presently 192.75%.

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.

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