CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Truist Financial Analyst Says

Key Points

• Truist raised its price target on CVS to $102 (from $98) and kept a "buy" rating, implying about a 16.3% upside from the prior close.
• CVS beat Q1 estimates with $2.57 EPS and $100.43B revenue and raised FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $7.30–$7.50, driven in part by improved Aetna medical margins and pharmacy cost initiatives.
• Street sentiment is generally bullish — 22 analysts rate CVS a Buy versus 4 Holds, with a consensus price target of $95.20; the stock traded around $87.70 and has a market cap near $112.4B.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by equities researchers at Truist Financial from $98.00 to $102.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the pharmacy operator's stock. Truist Financial's price objective suggests a potential upside of 16.31% from the company's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of CVS Health from $101.00 to $99.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of CVS Health from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of CVS Health from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $91.00 to $94.00 in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $101.00 target price on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Thursday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on CVS Health from $95.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $95.20.

CVS Health Price Performance

CVS Health stock traded up $0.84 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $87.70. 563,188 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,423,662. CVS Health has a 12-month low of $58.35 and a 12-month high of $88.63. The company has a market capitalization of $112.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 63.60, a PEG ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.60. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $76.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $78.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.63.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.36. The business had revenue of $100.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.99 billion. CVS Health had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 0.44%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.25 earnings per share. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.300-7.500 EPS. Analysts forecast that CVS Health will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of CVS Health

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CVS. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in CVS Health by 17.4% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 905,715 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $62,474,000 after buying an additional 134,535 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in 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 worth $77,353,000 after purchasing an additional 13,329 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its stake 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 buying an additional 7,588 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in CVS Health by 25.0% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 15,063 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $1,039,000 after acquiring an additional 3,011 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in CVS Health by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,609,404 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $111,017,000 after acquiring an additional 119,439 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.66% of the company's stock.

CVS Health News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and guidance raise — CVS posted adjusted EPS of $2.57 and revenue of $100.4B, topping estimates, and raised FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $7.30–$7.50, signaling better-than-expected operating performance and giving investors more confidence in 2026 earnings. CVS Health raises 2026 forecast after improving medical cost controls
• Positive Sentiment: Insurance turnaround driving profits — CVS reported roughly $2.9B in Q1 net income as Aetna’s medical benefit ratio improved (84.6% vs. 87.3% prior year), easing a prior drag and materially contributing to the beat. That improvement is central to the stock’s strength. CVS Health reports $2.9B in Q1 profit as Aetna strengthens
• Positive Sentiment: Management confidence on margins — Executives said Aetna is on a path to meet Medicare Advantage margin goals by 2028 after five consecutive quarters of improvement, reducing execution risk for the insurance segment. CVS execs say company on track to meet MA margin goals by 2028
• Positive Sentiment: Pharmacy cost initiatives — CVS Caremark will expand biosimilar formulary adoption (effective July 1), which should lower drug costs and support pharmacy margin improvement over time. CVS Caremark Expands Biosimilar Adoption
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst view still cautious — HSBC raised its price target from $83 to $85 but kept a “hold” rating; the PT sits below the stock’s current level, indicating some analysts see limited near-term upside. That dampens how bullish some investors will be despite the beat. HSBC Raises CVS Health Price Target to $85.00

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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