CVS Health Corporation $CVS Shares Sold by North Dakota State Investment Board

North Dakota State Investment Board decreased its position in CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) by 12.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 44,476 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock after selling 6,352 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board’s holdings in CVS Health were worth $3,811,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in CVS. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 83.6% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,089,694 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $112,729,000 after purchasing an additional 496,124 shares during the period. BNP Paribas lifted its holdings in CVS Health by 105.2% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 49,971 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $5,154,000 after purchasing an additional 25,617 shares during the period. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in CVS Health in the second quarter worth about $209,813,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in CVS Health in the 2nd quarter valued at about $49,622,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in CVS Health by 148.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 23,188,670 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $2,398,868,000 after buying an additional 13,836,701 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.66% of the company’s stock.

CVS Health Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of CVS Health stock opened at $89.99 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market cap of $115.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.60. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $91.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $88.67. CVS Health Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $69.51 and a fifty-two week high of $110.68.

CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.71. The firm had revenue of $106.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $100.03 billion. CVS Health had a return on equity of 13.12% and a net margin of 1.18%. CVS Health’s revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.81 earnings per share. CVS Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-8.100 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that CVS Health Corporation will post 8.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CVS Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 22nd will be paid a $0.6650 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 22nd. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. CVS Health’s payout ratio is currently 70.37%.

Key CVS Health News

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

• Positive Sentiment: A bullish preview upgraded CVS to “buy” with a $115 price target, citing accelerating earnings, higher guidance, improved margins, lower leverage, strong free cash flow and a sustainable dividend. CVS previously reported quarterly revenue growth of 7.3% and EPS well above consensus. CVS Q3 Preview: Accelerating Growth, Near 3% Yield, Meaningful Upside Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: CVS is reportedly piloting a program that expands pharmacists’ role in chronic-care management. If successful, the initiative could improve patient engagement, support care outcomes and create additional healthcare-service revenue opportunities. CVS Health is reportedly piloting pharmacists in chronic health management
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ average recommendation remains equivalent to “buy,” but the reports caution that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic and should not be viewed as a standalone investment signal. Brokers Suggest Investing in CVS Health
• Negative Sentiment: CVS and its Aetna unit sued to challenge Medicare Advantage star ratings that could reduce payments by approximately $2 billion. The litigation highlights potentially material pressure on the company’s government-benefits business and creates uncertainty around future earnings. CVS sues to prevent $2B Medicare Advantage star ratings hit
• Negative Sentiment: The University of Kentucky sued CVS, alleging RICO violations and claiming the university is owed $41 million. The case adds another legal overhang and could raise costs or reputational concerns if the allegations gain traction. UK sues CVS, accuses the pharmacy of RICO
• Negative Sentiment: Pharmacy workers in Rhode Island rallied over staffing and contract issues, signaling continued labor and operating challenges across CVS’s retail footprint. CVS workers in Rhode Island rally over staffing

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on CVS. HSBC reissued a “hold” rating and set a $103.00 target price on shares of CVS Health in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of CVS Health from $108.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of CVS Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $107.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $103.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $107.80.

About CVS Health

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS) is a diversified health care company that provides pharmacy, insurance and health services in the United States. Its businesses serve consumers, employers, health plans and health care providers through pharmacies, benefit programs, insurance coverage and clinical care services.

The company’s Pharmacy Services segment, led by CVS Caremark, manages prescription drug benefits for employers, insurers and government programs. CVS Pharmacy operates retail pharmacies and health-focused stores that dispense prescriptions and offer over-the-counter products, health and wellness merchandise, immunizations and related services.