Sanctuary Advisors LLC Acquires 24,871 Shares of CVS Health Corporation $CVS

Key Points

• Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its CVS Health stake by 14.3% in the first quarter, adding 24,871 shares and bringing its total holding to 199,236 shares worth about $14.3 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mostly positive: 21 analysts rate CVS a Buy, three rate it Hold, and the consensus price target is $105.38, though one recent note downgraded the stock to Hold.
• CVS reported solid quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, and it also reaffirmed FY 2026 EPS guidance of $7.30 to $7.50. The stock has risen to near its 52-week high, but regulatory scrutiny and insider selling remain potential headwinds.

Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its stake in CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS - Free Report) by 14.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 199,236 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock after purchasing an additional 24,871 shares during the quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC's holdings in CVS Health were worth $14,309,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of CVS Health in the fourth quarter worth about $1,666,265,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in CVS Health by 193.2% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,564,392 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $1,473,270,000 after acquiring an additional 12,233,675 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its holdings in CVS Health by 95.3% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 7,453,980 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $572,665,000 after purchasing an additional 3,637,943 shares in the last quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of CVS Health in the fourth quarter worth approximately $160,844,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position 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 purchasing an additional 1,824,424 shares during the period. 80.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CVS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered CVS Health from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on CVS Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on CVS Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on CVS Health from $94.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Argus lifted their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $90.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Twenty-one equities 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 stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $105.38.

Key Headlines Impacting CVS Health

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

• Positive Sentiment: CVS is benefiting from a sector-wide lift after UnitedHealth delivered a large earnings beat and raised guidance, which helped improve sentiment across managed-care stocks including CVS. UNH Stock Flashes Buy Signal On Massive Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Truist reportedly reiterated a bullish stance with a new $118 price target, reinforcing the view that CVS still has room to run after recently hitting fresh highs. CVS Health Given New $118.00 Price Target at Truist Financial
• Positive Sentiment: CVS also continues to draw favorable analyst attention, with reports highlighting optimistic Wall Street recommendations and broader confidence in the stock’s fundamentals. Is CVS Health (CVS) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Neutral Sentiment: Aetna’s provider survey showed improved payer trust and interest in digital tools, which is constructive for CVS Health’s Aetna segment but not likely a near-term stock mover. Aetna provider survey reveals increased payer trust and tangible benefits of digital tools to improve patient outcomes
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny remains a key overhang after reports that CVS Caremark reached a settlement with the FTC over rebate practices, pharmacy access, and transparency, which could pressure margins or invite more oversight. FTC Says CVS Caremark Settlement Could Save Consumers Upto $13 Billion
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary also suggests CVS may be trading at a demanding valuation after its recent run, which could limit upside if earnings growth does not keep pace. The Real Price of Admission for CVS Health Stock

Insider Transactions at CVS Health

In other CVS Health news, EVP Tilak Mandadi sold 69,551 shares of the business's 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Larry Robbins sold 370,462 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.45, for a total value of $34,619,673.90. Following the sale, the director owned 4,824,799 shares in the company, valued at approximately $450,877,466.55. This trade represents a 7.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,441,551 shares of company stock worth $323,703,977. Insiders own 0.85% of the company's stock.

CVS Health Stock Performance

NYSE:CVS opened at $106.51 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $135.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.92, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.61. CVS Health Corporation has a 1 year low of $58.50 and a 1 year high of $108.67. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $98.64 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $84.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.66.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $94.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.25 EPS. The company'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. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that CVS Health Corporation will post 7.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be paid a $0.665 dividend. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. CVS Health's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 117.18%.

About CVS Health

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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