CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) Upgraded to Outperform at Sanford C. Bernstein

Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note published on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has $94.00 price target on the pharmacy operator’s stock, up from their prior price target of $91.00.

CVS has been the subject of a number of other research reports. UBS Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Bank of America cut their target price on CVS Health from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of CVS Health in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Argus dropped their price objective on CVS Health from $91.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on CVS Health from $103.00 to $102.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, CVS Health presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.05.

CVS Health Stock Performance

NYSE CVS opened at $76.10 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $78.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $77.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $96.81 billion, a PE ratio of 55.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.49. CVS Health has a twelve month low of $58.35 and a twelve month high of $85.15.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The pharmacy operator reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $105.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $103.67 billion. CVS Health had a net margin of 0.44% and a return on equity of 11.31%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. CVS Health’s revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.940-6.140 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that CVS Health will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.

CVS Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 22nd were given a dividend of $0.665 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 22nd. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. CVS Health’s dividend payout ratio is currently 192.75%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of CVS Health by 72.1% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 339 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of CVS Health by 407.2% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 350 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 281 shares during the period. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new stake in CVS Health in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in CVS Health in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in CVS Health during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. 80.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting CVS Health

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

• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded CVS from “market perform” to “outperform” and raised its price target to $94, increasing analyst conviction and suggesting ~23% upside vs. current levels. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: CVS announced an AI-powered consumer health platform — a strategic push into digital care and personalization that could support margin expansion and higher patient engagement over time. Product rollout increases growth narrative beyond traditional retail/pharmacy. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage of CVS investing in advanced consumer tech (“agentic twins”) signals ongoing R&D and digital transformation that investors often reward if it drives stickier customer relationships and services revenue. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: North Carolina’s health-plan contracting dynamics may trigger a competitive bidding environment for Aetna and CVS; this could create upside from new wins but also pressure on pricing depending on outcomes. Monitor contract renewals and win rates. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Health-care sector weakness is a short-term headwind: the NYSE Health Care Index was modestly lower recently, which can pressure CVS alongside peers even when company-specific news is mixed. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentators note CVS is modestly down since its last earnings report — investors should focus on FY2026 guidance vs. consensus and upcoming catalysts that could re-rate the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: DOJ settlement: Aetna (CVS’s unit) agreed to a $117.7M settlement over alleged Medicare Advantage coding issues. While not crippling to cash flows, it is a near-term legal expense and adds regulatory scrutiny for Aetna’s Medicare business. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: CVS says it may close 100+ Tennessee pharmacies in response to state PBM-related legislation — a politically charged dispute that could disrupt retail access, revenue in affected markets, and raise execution/PR risk if closures proceed. Read More.

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.