First Trust Advisors LP Raises Stake in CVS Health Corporation $CVS

First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS - Free Report) by 4.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,344,647 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock after purchasing an additional 93,502 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned approximately 0.18% of CVS Health worth $168,393,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of CVS. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the period. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of CVS Health in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in CVS Health during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC grew its position in CVS Health by 344.8% during the first quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 387 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in CVS Health in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. 80.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CVS Health News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: CVS is expanding its pharmacy offering to include select pet prescriptions nationwide, a move that could drive incremental foot traffic and sales. Pet medications now available at CVS Pharmacy®
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary noted improving execution and a better payer margin outlook, which can reinforce confidence in CVS’s earnings trajectory. CVS Health Corporation (CVS) Rose on Improving Execution and Payer Margin Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS also highlighted ongoing community health investments in Massachusetts, underscoring its broader social and healthcare footprint, though the immediate stock impact appears limited. CVS Health Helping to Strengthen Communities Across Massachusetts
• Negative Sentiment: Henry Ford Health’s lawsuit alleging a 340B pricing scheme creates legal and reimbursement uncertainty, which could pressure sentiment around CVS’s pharmacy operations. Henry Ford Health sues CVS over alleged $29 million pricing scheme

Insider Activity at CVS Health

In other CVS Health news, EVP Tilak Mandadi sold 69,551 shares of CVS Health stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was 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 $907,714.14. The trade was a 87.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Larry Robbins sold 1,983,538 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.45, for a total value of $187,345,164.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 6,213,261 shares of the company's stock, valued at $586,842,501.45. The trade was a 24.20% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,441,551 shares of company stock worth $323,703,977. 0.85% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CVS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays raised their price target on CVS Health from $101.00 to $106.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of CVS Health from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of CVS Health from $101.00 to $111.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of CVS Health from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $105.38.

CVS Health Price Performance

CVS stock opened at $107.96 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $137.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.61. The firm's fifty day moving average is $99.78 and its 200 day moving average is $85.78. CVS Health Corporation has a 52 week low of $58.50 and a 52 week high of $110.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.87.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.36. CVS Health had a net margin of 0.72% and a return on equity of 11.88%. The business had revenue of $100.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.25 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.300-7.500 EPS. Research analysts predict that CVS Health Corporation will post 7.46 earnings per share for the current year.

CVS Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.665 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. CVS Health's dividend payout ratio is currently 117.18%.

CVS Health 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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