Norges Bank Makes New Investment in CVS Health Corporation $CVS

Key Points

• Norges Bank bought a new position in CVS Health during the fourth quarter, acquiring 20,996,288 shares valued at about $1.67 billion and ending with roughly 1.65% ownership of the company.
• CVS Health reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, with EPS of $2.57 versus $2.21 estimated and revenue of $100.43 billion, up 6.2% year over year. The company also maintained FY 2026 EPS guidance of $7.30 to $7.50.
• Recent business updates were mostly positive, including CVS Caremark’s expanded GLP-1 coverage for Zepbound and other obesity treatments, plus a new AI-driven collaboration with Salesforce aimed at improving call center service and efficiency.

Norges Bank purchased a new position in CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 20,996,288 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock, valued at approximately $1,666,265,000. Norges Bank owned approximately 1.65% of CVS Health at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 120,709,530 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $9,579,508,000 after acquiring an additional 1,824,424 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 2.1% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 68,382,158 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $5,155,380,000 after acquiring an additional 1,419,575 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 0.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 58,938,286 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $4,443,357,000 after acquiring an additional 149,701 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 1.1% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 26,692,203 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $2,012,347,000 after acquiring an additional 302,499 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 3.2% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 24,293,058 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $1,831,454,000 after acquiring an additional 760,579 shares in the last quarter. 80.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key CVS Health News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CVS Caremark said it will restore coverage of Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and add Lilly’s new obesity pill to its standard drug plans, a move that could boost CVS’s pharmacy-benefit relevance and improve customer access to GLP-1 medications. CVS brings back coverage for Lilly's obesity drug Zepbound
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced expanded GLP-1 coverage options, which management framed as improving affordability and access while supporting more sustainable long-term coverage. CVS Caremark Delivers Affordability and Access to GLP-1 Weight Management Medications with Expanded Coverage Options
• Positive Sentiment: CVS Health expanded its collaboration with Salesforce to streamline call center interactions using AI, which could improve service quality and operating efficiency across its member and provider base. CVS Health to Deliver Faster, More Personalized Call Center Care for Millions of Members with Salesforce's Agentforce Health
• Positive Sentiment: CVS Health also launched Aetna Mental Health On Demand and continued building out digital health capabilities, reinforcing its integrated care strategy. CVS Health Expands Integrated Care With Virtual Mental Health AI And GLP 1
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS received a Newsweek AI Impact Award for prescription-interpretation technology, highlighting innovation in pharmacy workflow and medication safety. CVS Health recognized for technology that improves medication safety and patient care
• Neutral Sentiment: Glenview Capital said CVS remains one of its top holdings, which supports investor confidence but does not by itself change fundamentals. Glenview Capital Keeps CVS Health (CVS) Among Top Holdings

Insider Activity at CVS Health

In related news, EVP Tilak Mandadi sold 69,551 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.58, for a total transaction of $6,230,378.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,133 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $907,714.14. This represents a 87.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Larry Robbins sold 1,983,538 shares of the 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 transaction, the director directly owned 6,213,261 shares of the company's stock, valued at $586,842,501.45. This trade represents a 24.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 3,441,551 shares of company stock valued at $323,703,977 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.85% of the company's stock.

CVS Health Stock Down 2.2%

CVS stock opened at $90.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $116.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.60. The business has a 50-day moving average of $82.07 and a 200-day moving average of $79.55. CVS Health Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $58.50 and a fifty-two week high of $98.43.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.36. CVS Health had a return on equity of 11.88% and a net margin of 0.72%.The firm had revenue of $100.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $94.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.25 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.300-7.500 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that CVS Health Corporation will post 7.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CVS Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 23rd were given a dividend of $0.665 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 23rd. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. CVS Health's dividend payout ratio is 117.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on CVS. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on CVS Health from $101.00 to $99.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on CVS Health from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Mizuho upped their price objective on CVS Health from $102.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on CVS Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, HSBC upped their price objective on CVS Health from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $98.88.

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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