Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Decreases Holdings in CVS Health Corporation $CVS

Key Points

• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise cut its CVS Health stake by 52.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 30,947 shares and ending with 27,874 shares valued at about $2.21 million.
• CVS posted a strong latest quarter, with EPS of $2.57 beating estimates and revenue of $100.43 billion topping expectations; the company also reaffirmed FY 2026 EPS guidance of $7.30 to $7.50.
• Sentiment is mixed: several analysts raised price targets and maintain Buy ratings, but insider selling has been significant and CVS is also facing legal/reputational risk from accusations tied to the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise trimmed its holdings in shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS - Free Report) by 52.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,874 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock after selling 30,947 shares during the quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's holdings in CVS Health were worth $2,211,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in CVS Health by 407.2% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 350 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the period. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in CVS Health in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its position in CVS Health by 93.7% in the 4th quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 370 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. GoalVest Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in CVS Health in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Financial Consulate Inc. raised its position in CVS Health by 99.6% in the 4th quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. now owns 499 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares during the period. 80.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting CVS Health

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

• Positive Sentiment: Glenview Capital said CVS shares have delivered strong long-term returns and pointed to continued progress in the company’s cultural and operational turnaround, a supportive signal from a notable shareholder. Glenview Capital Issues Statement on CVS Health
• Positive Sentiment: CVS also highlighted new community and public-health initiatives, including senior affordable housing, military support, and maternal mental-health outreach, which reinforce its healthcare platform and brand strength. CVS Health, Diocese of Camden, and The Walters Group Unite to Bring Senior Affordable Housing to Williamstown, New Jersey
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS published several corporate responsibility updates, including support for the military community and women’s health, which are positive for reputation but likely have limited immediate impact on earnings. CVS Health Reinforces Longstanding Support for the Military Community
• Negative Sentiment: Three major hospital systems accused CVS of diverting hundreds of millions of dollars in savings from the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, increasing legal and reputational risk for the company. Three major hospital systems accuse CVS of secretly siphoning hundreds of millions in drug savings
• Negative Sentiment: Director Larry Robbins disclosed multiple large stock sales over May 19-21, trimming his position by a sizable amount; insider selling can weigh on sentiment even if it does not change the business fundamentals. SEC Form 4 filing

CVS Health Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CVS opened at $93.35 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.87. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $80.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $78.98. CVS Health Corporation has a one year low of $58.50 and a one year high of $98.43. The firm has a market cap of $119.11 billion, a PE ratio of 41.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.60.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.36. CVS Health had a net margin of 0.72% and a return on equity of 11.88%. The firm had revenue of $100.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.99 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.25 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.300-7.500 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that CVS Health Corporation will post 7.44 EPS for the current year.

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 23rd were issued a $0.665 dividend. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 23rd. CVS Health's payout ratio is currently 117.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CVS Health

In other CVS Health news, EVP Tilak Mandadi sold 69,551 shares of CVS Health stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.58, for a total value of $6,230,378.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,133 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $907,714.14. The trade was a 87.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Larry Robbins sold 1,983,538 shares of CVS Health stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.45, for a total transaction of $187,345,164.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 6,213,261 shares in the company, valued at $586,842,501.45. This represents a 24.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 3,441,551 shares of company stock worth $323,703,977 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.85% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on CVS. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $94.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of CVS Health from $80.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of CVS Health from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $98.68.

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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