Nicolet Advisory Services LLC Acquires 4,768 Shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS)

Key Points

• Nicolet Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in CVS Health Corporation by 63.0% during the 1st quarter, bringing its total shares owned to 12,341, valued at approximately $851,000.
• Several hedge funds have also increased their stakes in CVS Health, with notable increases of 39.4% by GW&K Investment Management LLC and 584.8% by Sierra Ocean LLC.
• Analyst ratings for CVS have improved, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and price targets ranging from $71.00 to $84.00 by various brokerages.

Nicolet Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS - Free Report) by 63.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,341 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock after acquiring an additional 4,768 shares during the period. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC's holdings in CVS Health were worth $851,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its stake in shares of CVS Health by 32.6% during the fourth quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 707 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the period. Park Square Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in CVS Health during the fourth quarter worth $43,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in CVS Health by 39.4% during the first quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 637 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. PARK CIRCLE Co lifted its stake in CVS Health by 42.9% during the fourth quarter. PARK CIRCLE Co now owns 1,000 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its stake in CVS Health by 77.2% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 1,024 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 446 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.66% of the company's stock.

CVS Health Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE CVS traded down $1.02 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $61.45. The stock had a trading volume of 7,861,514 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,079,778. CVS Health Corporation has a 1 year low of $43.56 and a 1 year high of $72.51. The stock has a market cap of $77.74 billion, a PE ratio of 17.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $64.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $64.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The pharmacy operator reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.35. CVS Health had a net margin of 1.17% and a return on equity of 10.51%. The company had revenue of $98.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.83 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that CVS Health Corporation will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 22nd were given a $0.665 dividend. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, July 22nd. CVS Health's payout ratio is 74.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Guy P. Sansone bought 1,570 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $63.70 per share, with a total value of $100,009.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 12,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $764,845.90. This trade represents a 15.04% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.22% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CVS has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group dropped their price target on CVS Health from $71.00 to $67.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Bernstein Bank decreased their price objective on CVS Health from $78.00 to $72.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on CVS Health from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on CVS Health from $51.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $84.00 price target (up from $76.00) on shares of CVS Health in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $75.11.

About CVS Health

CVS Health Corporation provides health solutions in the United States. It operates through Health Care Benefits, Health Services, and Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segments. The Health Care Benefits segment offers traditional, voluntary, and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services.